Followers

18 May 2008

Sunday Summary

I feel like it's been a lifetime since I've blogged on Friday. The weekend, emotion-wise, felt like the weather: wait a few minutes and it will change again. Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!

On the Kiereney Front: The neurologist has increased her Nortriptyline to 2 tabs instead of one. Although Nortriptyline is mainly used as an anti-depressant, it has proven to be quite effective in preventing recurring headaches. She also took Kiereney off the Vicodin and put her on Fiorcet for pain, which she has had before and claimed it doesn't work. The neurologist says the headaches she is having now is not from the viral meningitis(it has apparently left the building) and these are called benign migraines. She did a complete neuro check, looked into her eyes with the light, reviewed the results of the MRI/MRA/ventriculogram in my presence and said that everything else is normal, including her blood pressure. She wants to see her in a month. Meltdown doesn't even begin to describe what Kiereney had when we got back in the truck after the appointment. I understand the frustration of being in pain-Lord, do I understand that! She is of the make-it-go-away-NOW persuasion and everyone has tried to tell her that chronic pain basically sucks but she has to make her peace with it as morphine is not a cure and you can have rebound headaches from too much medication. I'm not her favorite person at the moment(I don't care, I don't understand, I won't help her and the litany goes on and on and on) and I dropped her off at her dad's after the appointment. Stormy weather indeed.

Got to Kathy's where we spent the weekend. Went to the grocery store and got stuff for supper and then picked up the boys from daycare. They raced right past Kathy and into Aunt Nessa's arms. The sun definitely came out in my world. We went home, played, ate and read books. Kathy and I stayed up past midnight talking and catching up. All is calm, all is bright. And then I got THE CALL..."Mom, we are totally out of money, we are in Ohio, can you wire me some to get home on?" Hurricane force winds struck. Kelli said later she would have rather taken a beating that have to call and ask me for money. Suddenly, a light appeared in the heavens and Erica discovered that she had *GASP* $70 in her checking account so she didn't need my money. Amen and Amen.

Saturday morning we took the boys to a family friend's 5-yr-old-son's soccer game. It was a hoot! At halftime, Carter and Cade went out on the field and kicked the soccer ball around and there are 2 future allstars coming up in the soccer world. Carter will be old enough to play next year. The weather was picture-perfect gorgeous---sunny, windy and not too hot. Roger and I took a break from the action and hit up the concession stand where we breakfasted on cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate and sat at a picnic table under the shelter. It was shady and the breeze blowing through was phenomenal We could see the soccer game from where we sat.

After the game Roger and I took Carter to ToysRUs for a special treat because he had regressed in potty training since his mother came back and I told him last week if he could go for a week with no accidents at all, then he had a treat coming. I'm not sure who had more fun in ToysRUs--Carter or Roger and me. He ended up with a Little Tikes rope swing(burn some energy off) and a big bubble holder with three wands and of COURSE Aunt Nessa, being anal and all, had to buy a gallon container of Super Bubbles. We then met up with the rest of the family, buzzed through Mickey Dees for lunch and took it out to the park and ate it and let the kids play on all the cook playground equipment. Michael was with us and watching him interact with the boys gave me a glimpse into the future. He will make a phenomenal father. We packed up, went back to Kathy's and put the boys down for a nap. Kelli got home about 8 Saturday morning and she came by and we caught up on her trip. Erica was the beast from hell on the ride home. Kelli says she found out that Erica was planning to finance her trip from the economic stimulus check that was sent out except hers didn't arrive in a timely manner. Her husband, the more reasonable of the two, told Erica to 86 the trip but Erica assured him that she had PLENTY of money...Kelli didn't find this out until later. I told her there was a lot to be said for being the Spanish inquisitioner(that would be me...I check out every detail, possible bad scenario that could happen and ways it will be handled before I go anywhere with anyone on a trip) and I think she learned this life lesson from this trip.

When the boys woke up from naps it was BUBBLE TIME!!! We blew through(we being Kelli, Carter, Cade and I) half of the Super Bubbles. We blew them at the glass back door and the cat went bananas trying to kill the enemy bubbles. Cade couldn't decide if it was more fun blowing the bubbles or chasing them. We had pizza for supper, ate, Carter went to bed after a fashion and we were settled down for the night...or so I thought. I popped the Ambien and then all hell broke loose...Abbey, who works the 3-11 shift at the nursing home called and said we didn't need to pick her up from work as she got off early and Sarah had appeared at the nursing home and would bring her home but she wanted to go with Sarah out to Wal Mart and Kathy said no. She brought Sarah by the house to meet Kathy(and persuade her to let Abbey go with Sarah) and this Sarah was a trip! Talk about smooth operator. She gushed over the cats, Cade and if I had barfed, she would have said it was the most excellent puking ever! Kathy gave Abbey 90 minutes to be back. As they left, I asked Kathy since when CNAs were allowed to wear jeans on the job. Kathy said it was Casual Day and I told her I was God. I said Abbey never went to work that day. Kathy called the nursing home and asked for Abbey and they said who? Then Kathy explained she was to pick her up after her shift and they said she hadn't worked at all that day. Kathy had them check with all the nursing stations and sure 'nuff, Abbey was a no-show. I have only seen Kathy this mad once in my life and it's not pretty. Hurricane/monsoon season was alive and well. Kathy got dressed and we were going to road-trip to Wal Mart and hunt that bad girl down except I decided that they lied about where they were going. So about 15 min. before her curfew we camped in my truck and when she arrived-lightening and thunderstorms were abounding everywhere. Kathy made her get in my truck and head for the nursing home and we were marching in there with Abbey and asking the night supervisor to verify she had worked that evening shift. Halfway to the nursing home, Abbey gave up the ghost and confessed to not only not working but having used on Thursday.. At press time, I'm not sure what is going to happen but I think it involves getting the state to move her venue and she is being shipped up to the northern part of the state to her father and his wife. Kathy has had it. We finally got to bed and the winds were still blowing in other parts of the house.

And then it was morning on the 2nd day. I got up about 7 when I heard the boys up and Kathy and I started to talk when the fully-inebriated spouse who had spent the night in the garage tossing back cold ones came in and reamed her out for everything that had ever gone wrong in this world.. I just knew he was going to pull out one of his many weapons and start firing. Roger was asleep. Kathy was in tears and this man pulled no punches. It was demoralizing and I was struck speechless. After about 30 minutes, he went back out to the garage. I got Roger up and we left shortly after. I called to check on her when we got home and he came in and went to bed so hopefully he will stay there and sleep it off. The heartbreaker for me was when in the middle of his tirade Cade and Carter ran up to him and said, "Papaw, hugs please!" Those little guys were trying to divert him and make him be quiet. Abbey woke up about that time and came and took Carter out of the room and Cade just cowered in Kathy's lap. I can see this stuff on the Lifetime channel if I choose...I never expected to witness it up front, close and personal.

Michael came up today before we arrived to get Kiereney's phone and some paperwork he needed for his trip to Sprinfield tomorrow, made coffee and waited for us to get here. We told him what happened. Nobody messes with his "Other Mother"(Kathy) or his boys(Carter and Cade). He plans to go by there on his way home and make sure all is well and I pity if the man is awake because Michael is loaded for bear and he's gonna get told about it. Michael is fiercely loyal to friends and family and as I said when he left, "Katie bar the door!"

On the Lyrica front, I'm still floating beneath the surface and semi-pain free until the 11th hour of the med and then it's like the knife factory exploded into every fiber of my being. I'm hoping we level out this week. Remember the old fashioned snap clothes pins? They say that if you put one of those on the tips of each of your fingers(if they haven't lost their snap) and keep them on there for 30 minutes, you will know the pain of fibromyalgia. I thought it was a good analogy. My pain feels more like you are shredding boiled chicken and tearing my muscles apart. We each have our own pain, be it physical, mental or spiritual and all we can do is ban together and keep on keepin' on.

If you're still reading, you're a trooper. It was a wild weekend. I'm going to catch up on your blogs and then keep the company of Miss Reba at the Country Music Awards tonight on CBS at 7(CBS SO owes me for that free advertising!)

Be blessed in whatever state you find yourself in.

Keep all our soldiers, abroad or stateside, in your prayers. The military life can be a real head game and they suffer silently at times.

9 comments:

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Exhausted but read it all. Your weekend made me tire!!

Hallie :)

Fenway's glad you talkeda bout her in the comment you left. She sends her Aunt Nessa a big slurp!

Hallie

kim-d said...

Ness! WHOA! Clearly, I have to go back and read "older posts" to get the full scoop. So much for any kind of a relaxing weekend, huh? Darn good thing you've got the Lyrica fog going--imagine the stress without it! ???HA???

And I just want you to know that now you've got me obsessed with becoming a medical transcriptionist in the comfort of my own home! I must seek out information!

Debra said...

Hi Nessie,

Thank you for the very sweet comment that you left for me! You make my heart smile, dear friend. If and when you make your way out to CA, I would love to have you down to my beach house for some relaxation, and chit-chat. You are very dear to my heart.

Sounds like things are very busy in your neck of the woods! I keep Kiereney in my prayers. I know how difficult it is to live with so much pain. I understand her frustration. I hope that things improve for her soon.

I get so mad when I hear about what has happened with Kelli's "all expense paid" birthday trip. I guess her friend neglected to tell her that it would be Kelli that would be doing the expense paying! Not nice at all!

It sounds like the Lyrica is working fairly well for you. As you and I both know, no medication is perfect, but when we can find one that knocks some of the pain down, it's a good thing! The Lyrica does take some time to work, so just wait and see. Unfortunately, I have to take so many different meds that it is sometimes hard to know which is doing what. Hang in there, friend. You are stronger than you know.

Hugs and love,
Debbie

Anonymous said...

aww, Ness. do you know how amazing you are? If you don't then I'll tell ya! you are amazing! and so strong.

I just want to make your daughter all better. I have been praying so hard for her and for you and your family.

you have a great week, my dear! :)

Overflowing Brain said...

That was quite a weekend. I'm so sorry that Kiereney is having to join the world of chronic pain and I just hope her stay here is short.

Good luck with the Lyrica, I've heard good things about it, hopefully it'll prove to be a big help.

Laura ~Peach~ said...

HUGS what a weekend I am exhausted just reading...
I am glad you guys made it home safely and prayers continue for all fronts!
more hugs
Laura
ps my word verification cracks me up
(ibwebd) LOL

dlyn said...

That sounds like a very intense weekend! Hope your daughter recovers soon - I had chronic migraines for most of adult life, so I know how debilitating they can be. Hope things will work out for kathy and the little boys. :hugs:

Anonymous said...

Yummy: cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. I'm hungry and couldn't concentrate on anything written past that.

Sigh.

I wish someone would just come over here and make me some cinnamon rolls.

Blessings!

Lacy

Alice said...

Wow. What a weekend. And what a wonderful mother and friend you are. Ness, all who know you are so blessed to have you in their lives.