All is well-now- with my soul...

I have not posted in weeks, because I have been sick for weeks, then still recovering for weeks. 

What was wrong?? No real diagnosis as of yet. 

What were the symptoms? They were immense, in more than one way.  

Began with a headache, dull and in the temples.  This was the Sunday after we had experienced the Wurstfest for the first time.  So I deduced that dark beer (with wheat which is a no-no) and lots of polka dancing and amazing homemade sauerkraut and being packed like German sardines in the something-named-German- building, was the culprit and popped two Aleve and proceeded to church and such with the family.

Well it became much worse from there.  The headache never left, my neck was killing me, all my joints were screaming at me.  Monday once home, I just curled up on my couch and had chicken broth and old movies and children's Motrin. Tuesday, all pain a bit more intense- definitely not the flu, no other 'sick' feeling.  Called M.D's, I have two I can try to get into.  Nope-- two weeks away appointments. I thought 'well maybe?this will go away'.  It did not.

With a 'secret' mobile # we finally did get into one of the MD's (turns out wrong one)

He 'guessed' maybe flu-- I was sure not, but he said if not , then we would try again.  I truly can not figure out why I can not convey how very sick I am. 

I will condense the rest if I can:

Wed: RX given makes me ill (er) neck, eyes, temples HURT.

Thurs: pain med called in-- this makes me ILL (ER) pain more intense also.

Fri: Keith takes me to Odessa ER( he wanted to take me to Dallas, but I could not go that far)

I have intense pain, photophobia, neck pain, vomiting, my blood vessels have collapsed, my blood pressure is low. - I tell them I usually have great veins, and I have been throwing up and eating and drinking little, I suggest my being dehydrated...  I pee very little in a cup and I get cat scan, a 'concoction of pain meds via IV and a bag of fluids.  I do truly begin to feel some better.  The diagnosis, maybe a histamine headache.   I am pretty good the rest of the day, pain subsided, and I can eat and drink.

Sat: early AM-- It is back.  no nausea this time.  Pain intense-- Keith takes me back to Odessa.

New MD-- Get his concoction which contains morphine and no fluids.  The veins are not there still.  The meds, cover the pain but I can tell still there, not feel too well.  I tell him I really do not feel that much result except 'muffled' pain.  Sent home, with diagnosis - some kind of headache. DUH.  This treatment lasted about 3 hours.

Sunday: Keith has talked to 2 people during week that suggest Scott and White.  He finds they have a 'branch' in Round Rock--We are on the road to Round Rock by 8AM- I try to eat a Popsicle in Sterling City-- it was good till San Angelo. -- We arrive in Round Rock about noon-Now my blood pressure is the highest it has ever been in my life. They hook me up to IV after much problem with finding veins. Give a 'concoction' again, then fluids, once the fluids start flowing I feel much better.  I explain to nurses and MD all the vein issues and how much better I feel with fluids, I think I have dehydration. Not listening.  I am talking to Lee about it on the mobile, Keith is hearing this too, so he goes out and suggests to MD that I may need another bag of fluids, since mine is almost out.  She asks if I have peed yet, nope-- So she says- Great deduction- and adds a bag- 1/2 way through second bag I am great!! Starving too.--We get out I get a pizza around the corner( wheat, but food!) I shop at Ikea and go to Jamie's(niece that lives very near) I bend over to pet Sadie(dog) and BAM, lightening bolts of pain shoot to head and ears roar-- CRAP-- it is back, I almost cry.  But then 4 min later it goes away-- Not cured obviously, but I just wont bend my head quick... The rest of evening perfect.

Mon: Appt with Neurologist with S.W. clinic-- follow up suggested by S.W. ER.-- He is DWEEB.

he suggests cluster migraine, or something like-- Pituitary tumor not an issue, it is small (but it is there so...?)He has a concoction it is the 'best' (NOT) --2 weeks of Prednisone-upper- (steroid)(start with 8 a day, work down to 1) Valium-downer- and compazine - to 'keep it all in'.

Prognosis: Christy=Zombie.--- I asked him what this was for, he said "Your headache" . I told him it was gone yesterday- so I asked "do I have a headache?" He said I did.-- I did not take his concoction.

Later Monday I went about 30 minutes w/o a drink and the headache began again.  So I started drinking drinking drinking-- The head ache went away.

I am learning the tricks-- hydrate constantly, keep proteins high.  (I know, looks diabetic)

The Friday following I did get into my Dr. finally-- he was most distressed that we had not gotten to him sooner-- told us to be insistent and barge into office--- Good to know-too late.

--After the long description of above: He had some theories: Definite dehydration-severe. Why still a problem, will figure out.  Toxicity from something: maybe the cement I have been working with, Cement Poisoning. Maybe a accumulation of much, cement poisening, some herbals I was taking reacting with the smoked/salted/fermented German food I ate, and my pituitary tumor reacting to being 'used' too much. 

My first blood work did have a high blood sugar, as well as a low prolactin.  The blood sugar again diabetes suggesting BUT, also pituitary as well as the prolactin.  My second, 'starved' blood take, brought on no symptoms, and we are all expecting normal blood sugar now.  MD is still in the mind of a toxic reaction to ...   ?

So now? I seem better-- but since not knowing the cause of the problem-- I am being cautious.  Somewhat.  I must get back to work, with cement grinding.  I now wear a mask, gloves and my rubber boots. I hydrate. I eat 3meals with protein. I pray.

Speaking of prayers, my prayers changed a great deal during this ordeal.  From get me over this, to heal me, to just take me, NOW. In the midst of all though was my total thankfulness and awe over my dear sweet caring husband.   I know most of the time Keith acts as if he has little concern of anyone or anything.  He allows you to 'come along' as long as you do it right.   This is NOT always, Keith saw to all my needs, left his work, got a hotel room for my comfort, held my head, rubbed my back, made me drink, listened to me wail-- thought too I might die.  And did not want it. 

As always, God gives us opportunity in midst of a trial. Mine was to see my husbands love.

We poured the walls!! What a relief! I have posted a few more pictures to Photo bucket and it really should be on just under this post... Suppose to know what I am doing- I finally got it to work- it is posted on November 22-- So this is out of order-- Like everything with a build.

The wall pouring was so very intense! We had gone the Friday before our pour on Monday, to Dave and Pams home to help them pour. Keith had met them in Lubbock at the class Poly sTeel gave as a how to. Keith and Dave really hit it off and have been calling back and forth and following each others progress, and promised to trade off 'help'. Pam and Dave 'got to' pour first.

There were some issues in their pour. The slump was too thick then too soupy, the pumper was not 'pumping' as efficiently as they expected. The pump hose was an inch wider than the wall. So thy had to walk around and holding a couple of board together to funnel the cement into the house walls. We left with lots of ideas of what we were not going to have happen. Most of it did not. But other did.

First pour of slump was perfect! Second x around was a bit soupy and started urping out of the window holes. The window holes are meant to use when you need to pump the cement under windows in case the cement does not flow under them. That was not a problem!

So as the soup pumped through the windows, plopping on the ground and my floor, I crammed my hands in the holes and screamed up to the guys, who could hear nothing. 'MOVE'. Seriously all they needed to do is figure out this by the second window urping, and scan the window areas and save my hands from later rotting off from cement contact.

Then comes the 3rd x around , we waited a bit so the soup would harden up some. We were thinking ahead. NOT. We thought after the window fiasco, that was our biggest problem. NOT.

Half way around, in an area in between two windows, Keith and Lee are pumping and pumping and pumping the supposed last two feet of cement-- NOT. Keith realized at the last moment, or past the last moment, the 8 ft of cement that was suppose to be there was NOT, it had pumped under and out the windows on the other pour. So they pumped almost 8 ft into the walls- a BIG NO NO. Just as he figured it out he yelled MOVE. They started to then ' CRACK" BLOWOUT. But God is gracious, it was on the outside of the wall!! I ran out and tried to hold the hole closed as the other guys found the emergency peices of patch wood that we had set up for maybe blowouts. We survived it, the house survived it, Dave and Rex patched the hole. We used the amazingly long screws the guy from Garden City gave us, just in case.

So now here we are walls, no more wondering if the braces will hold our styrofoam walls together till we pour. We have walls! Ordered our windows. Our roof/trusses are being built and designed. Our floor grinder made it in!-- The day is coming, we will have a house!

The PROUDest Grandma!

She is here!  Our precious little doll, Erin Faith-- She was born October 1.

Now one, thus far, to be a 'shoe in' to pass some of Nana's opals to! (Moms Bday is 10/11)

                     Mom would be so proud! She was so very proud of Tanah and Cheyanne.

  Mom loved to show the girls off when they visited her.  I found at least 4 notations of a visit from Cheyanne to Manor Park.--- It was just about a year ago, for the October birthday celebrations at Manor Park.  All the honorees were to be presented with cake and their families came to enjoy the celebration with musical entertainment.  Ashton and Cheyanne and Keith and Evan and I were there to help celebrate the evening. At the last minute, the entertainment canceled, so the entertainment was presented by the resident pianist(one of the residents who had taught piano at the college prior to moving to Manor Park who plays very well.) 

Cheyanne was about 17 months and toddling well, and of course absolutely gorgeous with the big baby blues and blond curls.  When the piano began to play Cheyanne wanted out of the stroller, so we obliged.  Chey then proceeded to 'work' the room.  Went to all the tables and smiled and cooed, then went to the piano player and smiled and cooed, then eyed  the stage and smiled and ran and climbed upon it. Then she smiled and wooed! 

All of Mom's notations were of how everyone told her 'her great granddaughter was gorgeous, so precious, and much better than any entertainment that could have come in.'  In each note she agreed and said "how very proud she was of her greats, grands, and loved all of her family dearly." I know Mom just as thrilled with Ty and Erin.  My phone would be ringing constantly until they came to visit and then more to find out when they would come back.  

I too am proud,  more than I think anyone can imagine. Even more than Mom could know.   Proud that I am blessed with these grandchildren, with my children, now adults and their wives, my 'daughters'.  Proud that God gifted me with these wonderful gifts.  They are affirmation of me, of my being.  To see that these families, these children are direct descen-dants, products of my existence, gives me amazing purpose.  God meant me to be, I am no 'mistake'.  All I have to do is look into the eyes of, Lee, Brian, Evan, Tanah, Cheyanne, Ty and Erin and see a little of me, and KNOW they are His, He has a plan and we are all part of it,and He makes no mistakes..

A Bit about the house build slide

Keith has been wanting to show all the progress on the house thus far.  The original slide show is much better. But this will suffice. F

For some weird reason it will not upload straight to blogger, and the way 'they' tell me 'talk to them is useless.   I have a youtube account-- but just found out the Post Office does not allow them to open it there.  So I just signed on to Photo Bucket-- Just click the picture and it will send you to PhotoBucket then click the picture again.. It should work.

The house is coming along--there have been so many things that have happened also-- blessings really, but some sure seemed like trials while we were enduring...

I will explain a bit more in next posting.. Maybe-- 

Because Wednesday post will be about my newest grandbaby...

Ash will be induced Wed. AM

Enjoy

Big Sister Princess Party

Tanah and Cheyanne both are princess fanatics. I am amazed with how very young kids are when they start obsessing with ?? now. My princess stage was around 1st grade-- Not 2. But then even we (45 or so years old) just did not have the TV/movie influence -- All the movies I saw when I was 1st grade plus, in the theater (late showing, because Mom and Dad never could get to the movies till the last showing about 20 minutes late) are now on DVD, being released from 'the vault' periodically. I am so excited to see the first 20 minutes of all of the oldies!!

For months Tanah's phone conversation with us always consists of her having a princess birthday party soon. The problem is Tanah had a birthday this past July, so the party is quite awhile away. So in conversation, just before their trip to bring Evan home for his birthday, Tanah thought it was a good time to suggest a princess party for Evan... Well that would not work. But Papaw thought surely we could have a princess party AND celebrate Evans party some other way.. So Nonnie told the girls we would have a princess party, a big sister princess party, since Tanah just became one and Cheyanne would be soon. -- It was a blast.

Ash let us use her house (mine is still on wheels and I can reach all sides when I stretch my arms out) I found a trunk of princess dresses at Sams, and Keith insisted on the box of 8 high heel shoes too.. We had pink princess cupcakes I found a tea set for our clear rasberry KoolAid, and of course Princess fruit snacks...

The girls oohed and ahhed at the dresses, dressed up without much issue, neither wanted the others 'goods' and then came to the table. The , 2 and 3 year olds, who squeel, run, fall and whine and 'I want' and pout pretty much 60% of their day,turned into the quietest most delicate, prim princesses -- without a prompting one from Moms or Nonnies, they sat so daintily, poured their , tea and held out their pinkies-- it was eerie!! But adorable.

God has blessed me so very much-- What a joy to play with these little girls! And their moms... They are my best friends.

This 'plus' has priority to my 'blogging'

Okay okay, I am not the best blogger in the world. Not even a very good one in Midland Texas. Ashton and Chris C. are my inspirations.

Last posting was my grandson Ty.So I will begin with him now. It has been about 8 weeks since we saw him, we were going crazy!!! Finally just last week, Evan's 19 birthday, they all came down to Midland. (Thanks so much for being the chauffeur for us Lee and Meg!) -I know in the picture he looks like he is about 5, such a handsome boy! We are so blessed.
We had a wonderful weekend-- Tons and tons was done-- Working on the house-- We did meals etc at Ashton and Brians house and Mary Lous-- My little house on wheels, does not accommodate. Birthday Evan( not fancy, he is 19 now) Princess party for the girls (new sister princess celebration) Birthday shopping, visiting, diaper changing, and totally enjoying every minute of everything-- I love my family, love seeing my kids grown and parents. They are amazing parents and adults... don't know where they got it!!