Wednesday so soon?

Technically it is Wednesday but it doesn't seem so because I blogged on Monday. Not too much to tell. I went for my evaluation for my hip/back physical therapy. I have left tightness and much less range of motion on the left side. I have home exercises and will go twice a week for 4 weeks. I have one more session for my feet and they tried to panel layout differently today and I really feel a difference.

We had Millie time tonight here. It was nice to visit with the ladies and we had good eats. The garden is really growing - I already have tomatoes coming. I was able to get some grocery shopping done yesterday and I did some straightening up around here today.

Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Opening Weekend

Highlight post because there are too may days to go through.

I saw Dr. Schiff last week (the bone rehab doctor). She doesn't think there really is a tear in my hip cartilage and doesn't want me to go through another mri to clarify. Basically, she is calling it coccydemia. It is pain in the coccyx or sacrum. I will start up physical therapy this coming week for it. I am also trying ibuprofen treatments - 600mg twice per day and then heat in the evening and cold in the morning.

Friday morning I got to visit with an old friend, Lee. She was in town for a couple days and we got to see each other and catch up for a couple hours. As soon and Ellie and Rob got home from school we were off to Michigan. It was great to open up and get things ready for the summer. The kids loved their Christmas present - an air hockey game table for the basement. We also got bean bags for the basement - changing of the guard...fisher price gaming to more age appropriate gaming. Nick and Ellie spotted a pirate ship out on the lake and Nick was sure it was from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and sure enough the ship shot off some sort of cannonball.

The roof is about halfway complete now - just the back side and garage to finish up. I had hemmed the drapes Mom helped me make a couple years ago into valances last week and they look great hanging up. We got all the beds made and made a trip to the soda bar.

Saturday we went thrift shopping. Spent some time at the beach and watched a couple movies. It rained a portion of Saturday and thankfully, it didn't leak inside. Sunday, we divided and conquered. I went to try to find lights and fans while Rob took the kids to play tennis. I found a light for the bathroom upstairs and a ceiling fan...Rob found 4 wicker chairs by the dumpster. Rob and Ellie switched out the light fixtures while Nick and I returned out movies. We spent a couple hours on the beach in the afternoon but it was so hot and the water was so cold we couldn't handle it too long.

Today we cleaned up and Rob took the kids down to the beach. I got all the measurements for the windows and things we need bring up next weekend. The ride home was great - almost no traffic through the city. The kids played outside in the sprinkler, Rob cut down some branches and I got the garden watered and weeded. It was a nice weekend - wish it didn't get so hot. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Where is the time going?

I have included a couple pictures of the castle for everyone to see the project. We went to Celebrate America/Spring concert last night. It was interesting to see all the projects and you could definitively tell which children had family help and which didn't. After the presentation, the concert started. Ellie's band was the first up but we had about another hour of listening to other bands, choir and dance groups. It was a bit much since we had been there for an hour for the project walk through. My butt doesn't really like the bleachers too much and for an hour it really doesn't like them.

Not too much to blog about today. I have continued with physical therapy and the only noticeable difference is that the bottom of my feet aren't as sensitive. Ellie and Nick's swimming lessons are now over until September. Nick has battle wounds...from the monkey bars. He has blisters and sores all over his palms from doing the monkey bars way too much. Ellie has blisters from wearing her dress shoes last night without hose.

I have made a couple of great recipes in the last couple days. Definite keepers - couscous with fruit, nuts and peppers, seitan with broccoli and noodles and a no bake smores bar. Mom and dad were over for dinner tonight and got to sample the new recipes and be my guinea pigs. I had Nick's conference yesterday and found out he knows all 80 things every child should know before they start kindergarten.

I go tomorrow to the rehab/bone/joint doctor for an evaluation. Not sure what will come of that - more physical therapy, an exercise routine, drugs. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Seems like forever

The last few days seem to have been long. Rob and Dean went up to Michigan for the weekend to clean and prep the cottage for the summer. They painted a bedroom, vacuumed up all the bugs and dusted. The kids and I rummaged and hit garage sales.

Thursday, Nick helped my make some treats for miller time with the ladies. It was a nice time with the ladies - good fun and conversation. Friday morning Nick came with me to PT and then we went home to get Ellie - she had a half day. We ate lunch and went to search out bargains - sadly, there weren't many. The kids played outside and went in the sprinkler.

Saturday morning we hit a couple sales and had more success. We picked up about a dozen costumes for Halloween/dress-up box. We found a bag of lego train pieces and picked Ellie up a black skirt for her band concert this week. The heat didn't bother the kids and they played in the sprinkler and in the yard. We went to the festival of culture at the park. The kids got their bags of freebies and got to learn about 39 countries. We had dinner and went for a bike ride/walk.

This morning we hung around the house and cleaned up the basement. I worked to try to re-gain control of the dining room table and clean up all the castle project. Rob got home early and went to the park with us. It was too hot to really be outside but that didn't bother the kids. I did some gardening while kids played in the sprinkler. Ellie and I went to the library to get some new books. Ellie made fruit kabobs for dinner at mom's house.

We went over for dinner at Mom and Dad's house. Mom had made mac and cheese, asparagus and salad. Ellie helped her with a chocolate strawberry dessert. The kids played in the yard for a bit before we came home. Major need for bath/shower after the heat today. Rob did some puzzles with Nick while Ellie and I started a new book.

I am not sure what I did but I did something to my hip again and I am having some stabbing pain. I see the bone/joint doctor this week - it will be interesting to see what she says. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Blame it on Rob

Rob through me off my game last night. That and the fact that this week has been different.

I have now had a couple more sessions of therapy and I can say that my feet have become a more normal sensitive instead of super sensitive. All my weights got increased yesterday so I am feeling it today. Nick got his summer really short haircut yesterday. We have finished the castle and brought it to school. We added small Cinderella and Prince dolls to the castle and finished the moat in front and made Ellie's identification card (her name, teacher, title) look like an invitation. I will post pictures on Sunday's blog.

Nick had a kindergarten open house last night. He got to meet the teachers and look at their rooms. He took a tour of the school and just get acquainted. Ellie was asked to fill in as a dancer for the 3rd grade musical since she was so good at it last year.

We have got 90% of the garden planted now and Rob has been a huge helper in picking up and spreading mulch for me. Practically all the garden beds around the house have a nice layer of clean mulch on them now. Rob and I loaded his van last night with our old mattresses and a couple other tools he is bringing up to Michigan with him. He and Dean are going to open up the cottage this weekend.

We had a play date with a couple of Nick's friends on Tuesday morning. It was nice that they had a beautiful day to run and play. We did some grocery shopping on Tuesday afternoon. Christi and the girls came over after school and played. They brought their bikes and scooters with and the kids had a great time racing out in front.

My hips and lower back are still feeling about the same. The therapist called yesterday to ask if I could fill a cancellation but they didn't give me but 10 minutes notice and I wasn't even home. I told them to keep me on the short call list. Visualizing my healthy body and the new normal, Tree

Happy Mother's Day

So, this was the first "normal" Mother's Day in 3 years. Last year I was in the hospital and the year before I had just been diagnosed. It was a lovely day.

We began the day at church. We left church and went to Mom and Dad's for brunch. Mom made quite a spread of yummy food. It was wonderful to all be together and have a beautiful day to enjoy each other.

Jo, Ole, T & Te followed us home and Ole spray painted Ellie's castle. We thought it would take an hour and it turned into an afternoon project. The kids played outside and enjoyed the sunshine. The castle really came to life when it was all one color. A couple finishing touches this week and then I will help Ellie move it to school this week. It was dinner time when Ole finished up so they stayed for dinner and we picked up a couple pizzas. We got the kids into the tub to take their bath/shower and then got them to bed.

Yesterday, Ellie woke up around 5Am with the cough. She had forgotten to take her allergy medicine the night before and it had caught up with her. She rallied and we went to National Train Day down at Union Station with Dad, Jo, T and Te. It was fun...Million Dollar Quartet was there and playing music. The kids got to get a bag full of treasures from all the train exhibitors. We had lunch downtown before coming home.

Ellie helped me with the garden when we got home. We got 2 of the beds planted and covered in mulch and then the wire put up. We still have one more bed to wire and mulch. We worked to finish up the castle. Ellie made all the flags for the top and I made the cones for the tops of the turrets. We watched some of Mr. Popper's Penguins before heading up to bed.

Thursday and Friday sort of blur together. Nick graduated on Thursday mornings from preschool. It was a very cute ceremony with lots of songs and stories. Rob took the day off of work to keep us company. We took Nick out for pancakes after school - we went out with Ellie in the evening for the real celebration. I had PT on Friday morning - still not feeling any real change in my feet.

Back and hips still feel about the same...hoping for some relief once PT starts for them - end of the month. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

It is getting busy

It is like the calendar turned to May and everything is suddenly busy and on fast forward. I went for my PT eval on Monday. Good news is I will know in 4 weeks if this cured the neuropathy in my feet. I get 30 minutes of infared light panels applied to my feet and legs with some e-stim on my knees. I then do about 45 minutes of therapy exercises. I started on Monday and I go 3 times a week. Monday night we had swimming lessons. Nick had a double to make up for his missed lesson last week. Ellie did great in her new level and is getting some more courage to try diving.

This is Nick's last week of preschool. I took him to school Tuesday and did grocery shopping while he was there. I picked him up and we came home. Christi came over for coffee and to catch up. It was Ellie's last jewelry club after school. I went to see my regular doctor Tuesday night to get a referral for PT for my hips and back. He agreed that PT would be beneficial and he also referred me to a bone & joint doctor. I was able to schedule all those appointments this morning.

Nick had a trike-a-thon benefiting St. Jude this morning at school. He rode his bike for 90 minutes and then wanted to come home to ride it more. We went to the library to check out some new books and then over to Mom and Dad's. We had lunch and then I took Tony to school while Mom and dad watched Nick so I could go to PT. Mom and Dad came over for dinner - I made vegan alfredo sauce - it turned out pretty good. The kids loved playing outside after school.

I haven't noticed any major changes to my feet yet...but I am hoping. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Sunday

It has been a long week. I had anxiety about my doctor visit and then waiting for the test results. I went to see Dr. Marsh on Thursday. He said, in his experience, if a cancer patient/survivor has something that is bothering them (an ache or pain) it is better to quickly do a test and find out answers so worrying doesn't go on and on. He did an exam and I showed him exactly where I was having pain. He ordered a mri of my hips and sacrum. I also got a referral to a physical therapy company that is working on neuropathy.

Friday morning I dropped nick off at Mom's house and went for my mri. I am not claustrophobic but I have to tell you - that machine makes even those who aren't converts. Very tight quarters. The test itself took about an hour and a half. I was secured to a table and my feet were taped together so my hips aligned the right way. The test involves a very loud thumping sound and then I had with/without contrast so after all the initial images were taken they were taken again with contrast.

I went back to Mom and Dad's and we had lunch and just relaxed. Ellie had a dance on Friday night - she went with Catherine. Rob, Nick and I went for dinner and then a quick trip to Target and Menards. Dr. Marsh called me with the mri results - I have a tear/rip in the cartilage in my left hip and fluid build up around that area. I have wear on my sacroiliac joints. I have radiation damage on my sacrum. I am glad nothing is broken...I have a message into my gp for a referral for physical therapy.

Saturday morning, Ellie and I went downtown to Northwestern for her mri. The study Ellie is involved in at Northwestern continues. Ellie did great and I have an added appreciation for what she went through. We walked over to American Girl afterwards and Ellie got Kit's ears pierced with the money she earned from the study. We had lunch and then cruised home. We stopped by Mom and Dad's and Ellie showed them the pictures of her brain and then she stayed with them for the afternoon.

Nick and Rob had been playing all morning. I passed out on the couch for hours. I think I had scanxiety and I finally could rest. We had leftovers for dinner and just a low key night. I had some sort of stomach yuck going on - could have been from the contrast from the test or bad food.

Rob took the kids to church this morning and I got some cleaning done around the house. We worked a little bit on the castle today - almost done. We went to Mom's house for Family Sunday. We had a Cinco de Mayo celebration with tasty food. We came home and Ellie and I worked on the castle some more. We got the kids ready for bed and then watched our Sunday tv.

Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree

Wacky Wednesday

No creativity for the title tonight. Been a couple of wacky days. I am going to see Dr. Marsh tomorrow morning. I emailed Margaret on Tuesday to complain about my hip/back pain and Dr. Marsh wanted to see me. He will do an exam and then decide if I need x-rays, scans or to see someone else.

Nick had a goofy day on Monday - not really himself. He slipped on the bleachers at swimming and hit the back of his head, he slipped on the pool deck a couple times. He didn't end up swimming - he hung out with us upstairs and iced his head bump. Ellie did a great job.

I have been sitting around the house. The shocking pain in my left hip and lower back have made me not want to move around too much. The pain has seemed to get better since I scheduled my appointment - mind over matter.

Nick only has a couple more days of preschool - he graduates next week. Time flies. I have gotten a little further on the castle - we are using ice cream cones for the tops of the turrets. Ellie only has one more week of jewelry club but has enjoyed making bracelets.

Rob has been working soccer games - he worked a double on Tuesday night and he has a double tomorrow. He worked an event at school tonight - the good news is he has a weeks worth of time off now.

Mom and Dad came for Wednesday night dinner and we had a table full of delicious choices. The tastiest fruit! The Middle was finally new again so we had our tv time and then they left. The kids and I got a couple more chapters of Chitty Chitty read before they went to sleep.

Send me your positive thoughts tomorrow morning...I am hoping it is some weird muscular related exercise injury. I saw a promo for the news tomorrow night talking about home fitness program injuries. Visualizing my healthy and continually healing body and the new normal, Tree