Polka Festival Pics, Kids visit was awesome, and sad to see them go, have to begin this "bone stim" tomorrow, holidays, and family... lingering fear over neck surgery & pain in my thigh from the hip fracture

Here finally is some of my pics from the parade for the Polka Festival on Saturday. The kids started home this morning a couple of hours ago. It gets more difficult to see them go every time. It seems like they get here and it's time for them to turn around and leave. I enjoyed having them, and was happy I got to celebrate Logan's birthday, although a bit early, it was the first time in a very long time that I was where I could be with one of them for their birthday's. I think Heather's would have been the last and that was when she was very little... but I got to be with them yesterday for awhile, and Saturday at the parade. I didn't get to go to the Zoo due to my neck still being in the hard brace, it was so hot and humid, in fact the whole time they were here it was hot and humid, but they enjoyed the zoo... and sometimes we will have to go back when they come up. I just hope we get to see each other much sooner...

since Mom is gone, it is much harder for me to be here .... of course Jason is here and we see each other a couple of times a week for the most part, but I truly miss not being able to watch the kids growing up. And I so wished I could be with Amanda more. We talk almost daily, but being with her is always so much better. We did get a bit of time together, but it seems we are always rushed, because there are so many people to see, and things to do while they are here... As they drove away, I felt the tears in my eyes, and I got choked up, life sometimes is not easy. After all the hell with my neck surgery, and it still does not seem "right" ... plus my thigh where the hip fracture was is really giving me hell, and I know I probably face more surgery soon on my lower back...

I just wished it would all go away so I could have my life back.... but we all have a path to follow, and sometimes it is just not easy... but we must do, what we have to... then Peanut bless his heart has not been feeling well, I noticed him scratching, and sure enough, even with keeping the lawn treated, and keeping him with drops monthly, he had a flea on him, so I've been trying to use "natural things" to get rid of them...

so between trying to mop with lemongrass oil, apple cider vinegar, and I put a little bit on him with some coconut oil, that seemed to also help the itching, he is a bit better this morning, and I am already exhausted from trying to be careful not to hurt my neck, yet vacuum with my small vacuum cleaner, and mop the hardwood floors... and wash everything in dry it as hot as I can.... a pain in the butt, yet with all of the rain, and now more headed our way, it will be a pain all summer probably. I've got to start the "bone stimulator"... but I think I will begin tomorrow. I want to get over everything else, get my clothes washed and get a bit settled before I began having to wear it a total of 4 hours a day, 2 at a time I can split it if I want... and I pray next week, a week from this Wednesday, the hard brace can come off, and I can drive then, and wear a soft brace.... Wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday!

And Kids at the Zoo!!!!!  

Deep Bone Stimulator, Cervical Surgery and Life...

I am asking this because I knew when my Orthopedic Surgeon sent in the request for my neck surgery to my insurance, he had added something about a "deep bone stimulator"... I knew they used them, especially on osteoporosis patients, that have issues with bones not wanting to heal as properly or quickly as some others without the issue. Plus even with osteoarthritis, and like RA using Prednisone, and some of the other medications they use for RA, they can have an effect on bone healing, especially in the thigh and spine. BUT, he said NOTHING to me before the surgery or after. Even when I went in for my 1st recheck after the surgery, not one word was said, although he expressed concern about the bone back in my cervical spine not being much left there to do something with surgically if this didn't work.

Which left myself and my son and daughter concerned. Thus I am in this damned hard collar for these 5 weeks, which last time i only wore about 2 weeks, then wore a soft one, but I also was able to not wear one and could drive especially here locally. Anyway, I got a call from a Rep about a "deep bone stimulator" but it came in on my cell phone, I guess last Thursday or Friday and I never got the voicemail. I've noticed that happening some, not all the time, but at times either the phone does not ring long enough, or I don't find out about a voicemail or even text message for a day or at least a few hours. So this guy I guess works for a company in Plano TX, and was going to be down here last Friday in the area close by, in Waxahachie, and was supposed to try and get down to me, because MY DOCTOR had ordered it and my insurance had approved it... well I knew that it had been approved for a YEAR! I got notice from my insurance company twice in fact 3 times about the surgery and this stimulator being approved by my insurance. Anyway, so I didn't even get the message until yesterday, and called him back and left a message. What did get me, I guess the main company maybe located out of state or something, but the phone number he called from and gave me was way out of state, like on the

 East Coast, but he did say he was located in Plano.... so those kinds of phone calls get confusing. I've had several calls on my cell lately, that are "bogus" or either someone who had the number before gets a call and that has happened a couple of times, but what I thought is they HAVE TO HAVE CALLER ID. I know on my home phone if they don't have caller ID, I have them blocked... anyone legitimate will have a caller ID name... now I know they can get around that now and do by putting something in their that is not their real names, but it burns me up, for one and I am going to let my cell phone company know I am NOT getting my voicemails promptly, and that numbers are coming up "odd" and with no caller ID on them... so when I number comes in from some state that is strange and I do not know anyone from there, I don't answer it or it is usually someone trying to cause problems so I block that number. Fortunately, the guy left a message, so I knew to keep that number, but he had his name on it also. What also gets me though here it is 6 WEEKS, almost 7 since my SURGERY, AND THEY ARE JUST NOW GETTING THIS BONE STIMULATOR ON ME???? I read that should have been done on my 1st FOLLOW UP VISIT, NOT 8 OR 9 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY!!!

 I was so pissed about it, because I hate this damned collar, I am worried as hell and want to do things around the house, but everything I do I feel like I am not sure whether I should or not... even typing on the computer, I am concerned over... I know this doctor is going to get a piece of my mind when I go back in... this is ridiculous to not have something that important with me to use, supposedly 2 hours a day! I am so fed up with the entire thing. I am mad that I have to have this one for the holidays and my daughter and her family are coming, and it is my youngest Grandson's birthday... this will be the FIRST BIRTHDAY I get to celebrate with him since we live so far away from one another... I am so excited about it and we are taking him to the Fort Worth Zoo and in fact I have never been to it, I have the Dallas one, but not the one in Ft. Worth! I hope the weather is decent... I know right now it is not looking all that great for the holiday weekend.... and the Seniors are graduating this Friday also, so I hope they can have it in the football stadium... and they will if the weather holds out.... anyway, life sometimes just irks the heck out of all of us I know...

Coconut Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Gluten Free and other "heathier" choices in Desserts

After going through the hip fractures and then the Cervical Neck Surgery plus knowing shortly I will also be probably having Lumbar Surgery, I'm truing to move to Healthier Recipes, Using more Whole Wheat Flour & Coconut Flour. I already use Almod Milk, and do all types of different things, such as using Turkey for my Ground Meat, staying away from red meats, trying  to eat more fish if possible, NEVER using Lard, Shortening, but only Canola Oil, and more lower types or fat free items. Of course, you have to really watch the labels, and me smart about  what the ingredients are now days. Just because something says "Organic" or Lower Fat and Carbs, you will find out some of that is not exactly true. I've tried and also had luck, and had failures especially with Coconut Flour, that only take a small amount BUT LOTS of eggs (I use substitute, or other items to add moisture to it. 

Here are a few I've picked out to try and thought I would share them with you

Basic Cake Recipe Above with Whole Wheat Flour

Applesauce Cake Above with Whole Wheat Flour

Cookie Bars

World Autoimmune/Autoinflammatory Arthritis Day

World Autoimmune/Autoinflammatory Arthritis Day

@WorldAutoimmuneArthritisDay

 In one week we'll be putting the AUTO in AUTOimmune & AUTOinflammatory Arthritis by hosting a virtual awareness race via Facebook & Twitter - and YOU need to help "drive" the awareness!

Learn more at www.WAAD17.org - and invite others (SHARE!) — with American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), CreakyJoints and International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis.

Take a look at the website, and Facebook page! YOU can find out more at both of those.

It's time to take Autoimmune Arthritic Illnesses, and "run" them off the track! 

 

 

Wishing ALL of the Mom's Grandmothers, Step Mom's, & Each and every Lady that has"been, felt and feels like a "Mom" - Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing Each and Everyone of the Mom's Out there a Very Happy, Joyful and Wonderful Mother's Day!!! All MOM"S are truly SPECIAL!!!!

Know You have blessed so many with your kindness, love, caring, and all that you give every day unconditionally!!!

 

A Mom's "job" is never done. Once we are "Mom's" that is our lifetime commitment. No matter how old or young our kids or we are, it is truly a lifetime of love....

World Lupus Day/Month May 2017!

 

Lupus Awareness Month 2017

Lupus is more pervasive and severe than people think, and has a devastating impact that the public doesn't realize. In fact, research shows that a staggering two-thirds of the public knows little or nothing about lupus. You can help change that.
Join the nationwide effort to pump up the purple this May to raise awareness and funds for lupus research and education programs. Rally support from your
friends and family and get started today!

http://www.lupusawarenessmonth.org/index.html

Take Action on the American Health Care Act, More Work Needs to be Done!

 

 

WE MUST TAKE ACTION FOR ALL OF US IN REGARD TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE HEALTHCARE ACT!!!

Update on my Cervical Neck Surgery..... news is frightening honestly!

My visit went "okay" on my follow up 11 days after the neck surgery. What I found out though this HAD TO WORK AND IT NEEDS TO HEAL AND STAY WORKING! I don't have much bone to even work with anymore... he took out all of the hardware, and one of my other surgery levels had completely fused and was awesome. It was "between" the two the were new and then one that never quite healed right from the 2012 surgery. It is amazing to look at the X-rays and wonder how the heck they get all of that in there, and make it work. I am in the HARD COLLAR THOUGH another 5 WEEKS! 

Then i go to a soft collar, but he told me frankly we needed to take every precaution we could to make sure this does get the job done... my lumbar spine he said, and he was upset I did not tell him months back about how bad it had gotten, but my neck after seeing NO SPACE LITERALLY between two of the discs, and how he managed to put almost 2 1/2 inches of space and then remove a huge bone spur that was also in that area... but lumbar surgery could be done in about 9 weeks if it stays bad or gets worse. He said I could have lower surgery even a bit earlier as long as my neck progresses .... anyway, I then I think put myself in a "tension" after hearing him and then I think I am having muscle spasms on the left side where it is so bad, plus just stressed myself out so 

I didn't sleep again as well as I should have and was up "early" but at least not at 2AM and was actually asleep until about 3:30AM before I finally got up. I don't want to sit and type much. Right now although the pain and burning etc has really gone down so much so quickly, I don't want to chance i and I don't want to run into messing something up.... so that is my report... once I get the operative report, I will have to post some of that so you can hear just how much he had to do in orde to have enough to work with this time...

LUPUS Awareness MONTH May 2017!!!! LOTS you can do to get message through to Congress, to Walk, Advocacy from Home and Much More!

bit.ly/WalkwithUs #WalkwithUs

http://www.lupusresearch.org/advocacy/legislative-action-center.html#/takeaction

Use the Lupus Research Alliance Legislative Action Center to tell legislators why we need greater funding for scientific research at the National Institutes for Health and allocations to continue a dedicated lupus research program at the Department of Defense. Equally important is to convey why we must make sure that any new healthcare policy allows all people with this challenging disease to get the critical medical care they need. And to be most effective, share your own story – share how lupus affects you! bit.ly/LupusLAC

 

 

Cervical Neck surgery OVER BUT COMPLICATED, PAINFUL AND HARD COLLAR DRIVING ME NUTS!!!

I am home, thank goodness. Got home yesterday afternoon about 4:00PM... I thought I was staying another night... the surgery was COMPLICATED AND TOOK 3 HOURS!! Things were MUCH WORSE than even my surgeon thought. Was should have been a 1 or 2 level surgery, turned into a full 3 level surgery, plus talk about PAIN!!! MY entire chest, arms, head, neck, even my left ear HURT SO BADLY, they really could not give me enough meds to get it calmed down. 

My throat was so sore I could not even swallow a popcicle, so of course I stayed Thursday night. I found out yesterday morning we had waited WAY too LONG doing the surgery, thus the complications. My neck was over 21/2 INCHES SHORTER than it should have been, so he had to literally STRETCH MY CERVICAL SPINE ENOUGH to get those over 2 inches BACK AND put in the discs, and get the cage in, and then I had a BONE SPUR THE SIZE OF 2 INCHES, that he removed, and used it in the cage for my bone to hopefully regenerate itself. Needless to say I am miserable. This very HARD COLLAR, ALONG WITH THE STRETCHING, feels like someone put my head in a vise and literally PULLED MY HEAD AND NECK UP ALMOST 3 INCHES. Jason even said he could tell by looking how much straighter and longer my neck was yesterday. 

Anyway, I pray this all heals well, and never will I WAIT AGAIN, to have something like that done... of course my situation was crazy last year between Mom being so ill, then passing away so quickly, then between after the funeral and paperwork, my twisting both ankles, and then falling and fracturing my hip in December none of which was "my fault" for not having surgery much sooner... honestly the surgery should have been done December a year ago, but that is when my pain pump went out, and I had to have it replaced on the 29th of December 2015, thus about January 10th is when Mom then was in such a fast moving Dementia, I could not have surgery due to that, and the her passing away in June, I severely sprained both ankles the right one horribly worse, which my doctors feel contributed to me tripping and breaking my hip.... 

my lower back honestly has been getting worse now and really had been bad before the neck issues came up... so I feel I may face lower back surgery later in the year, especially if we see that things are worse, as I fear they maybe.... anyway, I am home, and now they have adjusted my pain meds, where I am not in so much pain, just MISERABLE FROM THIS DAMNED HARD ITCHING COLLAR!!!! I hope this does the trick, and now I get better as far as the cervical spine.... more later, I can't sit here for long and type at my desk, but I may be able to use my laptop soon on the sofa.... Hugs to all, Rhia