Early Wednesday

Okay, so who wants to hear about my fun day flying Hannah back to OKC?  Did I ever tell you that God is good, and to borrow a phrase from my friend Betty, The Lord is In Control!  Sit back and listen to my adventure.

 

So I stumble out of bed after sleeping 3 hours and get ready.  I'm really anxious, not wanting to go do this thing at all.  Get loaded up and head off to the airport after saying goodbye to my two boys.  Traffic isn't too bad, which is good since we left a little late (my fault).  Get to the terminal and check Hannah's bags.  Run upstairs and don't even have time to grab a coffee (bad omen) and start boarding within ten minutes.  Plus, another thing is I tried to call David 7 times on three different phones.  What the hell is the benefit of having three different phone numbers if he won't answer one of them?  Doesn't he know how freakin anxious I am?!

 

Okay, board the plane and sit there getting settled.  I'm like "Hannah it smells funny in here.  Does it smell like diseale fuel to you?"  Hannah "Mom, it's fine.  Just smells like stale air".  I'm sitting there thinking no it doesn't, that it smells like fuel.  Okay so maybe they are refueling and the smell will stop once we get going.  All the doors close and it seems like the smell gets stronger.  "Hannah, do you smell that?  It smell...electrical."  Hannah, being the adult here, "Mom, everything is alright."  I said "No, I really smell something now, really I do!"  Right about then the smoke alarm goes off in the back bathroom scaring the you know what out of me.  The stewardess fumbles with it for a minute or two and gets it off and calls up front.  The plane stops it's taxiing.  We sit there and I am totally freakin out.  Totally!

 

This man sitting across from us with his teenage son goes "are you alright?"  I know that all the color has completely drained from my face and my heart if racing 100mph or more, I can't catch my breath, and this man asks me if I am ok?  Seriously?  What part of me looks okay?!  So I go "Hell no!  Do I look okay?"  So he just begins talking to me about anything and everything to distract me but it's hard to concentrate when you can't breathe.  The stewardess gets off the phone a second time and announces we are headed back to the gate, thank you Jesus!  So we deboard and sit around waiting to see what is going to happen.  Right now I'm beginning to get a little bit of blood and oxygen back into my brain, but I still can't get ahold of David.

 

Announcement made that there was a fuse that was blown on one of the air conditioner units and that, once fixed, will we reboard the SAME PLANE.  What?!  Are you kidding me?  The same plane that just had alarms going off and smoke in the cabin?  Oh my!  Freak attack going on.  So I approach one of the gate employees and say "I feel just a little anxious about getting back on that plane."  "Yes," she says" you are getting on the same plane."  "I understand that...I'm pretty anxious about all that."  "Yes, that plane will be where you guys are going."  Is she understanding the words that are coming out of my mouth?!  "Hey, I said I am anxious about rebording the same plane we just got off of where the smoke alarm was going off!  Do you understand what I am saying?!"  Little stare.  "Do you mean you are nervous?"  Someone give this woman a prize.  "Yes, I'm nervous."  Well you can go down to customer service and see if they can rebook you, but that is the plane you will be getting on for this flight."  So I just look at her and go "Would you get back on that plane?"  She just looks at me and said "I'm not flying today."  Oh, I didn't ask that did I, but I think that was my answer.

 

I did wander on down to customer service and they were going to rebook me on a flight for Thursday, when they said that we were getting a new plane.  Really?  Okay fine then, I'll go ahead and go.  So I get back down there and it's the same darn plane.  What the...?!  I'm starting to get really upset when the Capitan walks up and touches my arm, "Ma'am.  The plane is safe.  The only thing wrong is there is a faulty air unit and we thought we had it shut down before we started to taxi.  It was just a fuse that blew.  We replaced the fuse and disconnected the air unit.  The plane is perfectly safe.  I'm getting back on the plane to fly and I wouldn't do that if I didn't feel it was safe.  I want to get to OKC in one piece just as much as you do.  I promise you, the plane is safe."  That was a calming effect for me.  Just as if Jesus himself had appeared right in front of me and gathered me in his arms.  "Okay," I say, "Lead the way."  And he did just that.  The plane smelled better and we backed out, taxied, and took off, landing in OKC without further incident.   And the nice man and his teenage son, sat right beside us the whole way talking to us, keeping me calm (can we say Angels?)

 

Okay now there is a time crunch.  I've only got 10minutes now to get Hannah to her Dad right outside of security and board my plane back to Phoenix.  Run Forest Run!  See the security gate.  See Tom on the other side.  Hug Hannah as hard as I can because I won't see her for 7weeks.  Then run back to the gate.  Got one more minute.  Grab a Diet DP.  Board the plane.  Take off.

 

I'm surrounded by AF guys laughing, joking, and talking about headed back to base at Luke in Phoenix and having only ten days before heading back to Iraq.  They are laughing and joking.  And I'm still thinking about my petty fear of flying.  These guys have already been to Iraq, and they are headed back in less than two weeks, and they are laughing and joking the whole flight. 

Dear Lord, please surround these fine young men as they are on the eve of flying back to Iraq to fight for our freedom.  Thank  You for these brave men who are willing to give their lives so that we may have the liberties that we take for granted everyday.  Please surround these young men with Your amour and protect them so that they will be able to complete their mission and come home safely to their families, just like You are bringing me home safely to my family today.

 

I made it back to Phoenix just fine.  Grabbed my Starbucks, got in my car and headed home.  Called Hannah, called David.  Kiss kiss, I love you all. 

 

Hope everyone sleeps good tonight.   I will.

 

De ;)

 

 

Tags: flying, angels, soldiers, safely home

Sunday

Hello everyone!  How has your Sunday been?  We did end up seeing Eragon today, and it was awesome.    Of course Hannah had to point out there was a bunch of stuff left out, but I didn't notice because I didn't read the book first.  It was really good, not too scary for the little ones.  We only had to cover Caleb's eyes a couple of times, lol.   Beautiful scenery, too.  Great acting, except for the Arya actress, she needs a little practice.  Joss Stone was a scourceress and did a pretty good job, but then again she only had a small part. 

 

I'm pretty put out with Jeanette, Hannah's stepmother, right now.  Every since Tom, Hannah's Dad, and Jeanette got married, she has presumed to be Hannah's mother.  She would constantly put herself in my role, like volunteering in Hannah's classrooms at school, going to parent-teacher conferences instead of her Dad, telling me how to discipline, etc.  Jeanette has gotten better since Katie, Hannah's half-sister, was born, but she still meddles.  Pisses me off to the max.  I just see red.

 

Jeanette's latest...emailing Hannah that she is 26 assignments behind with her school, and that spending "4 1/2 hours a day on school isn't cutting it".  Otherwise this is a big hint that "you are not going to your church function if you don't catch up in time".   First of all, Hannah already received permission from Tom to attend this church function, called "United".  Second, The Morningstar Academy is a self-paced school and gives the students 300 days to complete 180 days worth of assignments.  If Hannah gets a little behind or takes a little longer to complete a few assignments, what is the big deal?  She has until June 30th to finish.  Third, what goes on in my house and how I make sure Hannah is doing the appropriate amount of school work is not ever her business.  Fourth, I am not going to allow her to intimidate Hannah.  And what I told Jeanette was exactly this "Do not presume to dictate what goes on in my house.  Do not ever presume that you can threaten or bully Hannah from OK.  I already assume you will have her on a very strict schedule once she arrives in OKC (something similar to a Nazi prison camp), but do not assume that you can accomplish that feat in my house.  And, I am not now or ever going to fly Hannah back early and totally rearrange my schedule so that you can tell Hannah that she cannot go to an already agreement upon church function just because you have decided where Hannah should be in her school assignments".  Okay, can you tell I am just a tiny bit put out with her.  I will be so glad when Hannah finishes high school because I won't have to deal with them to this degree.  Ugh.  4 1/2 more years, and I'm counting down, lol.

 

Oh, I do hope I haven't given anyone the idea that I am laying in bed dying from pain with this bladder issue.  Yes, I hurt.  Yes, there are more days now that I hurt worse than ever before.  But I am otherwise a pretty healthy person.  Oh sure I take more medicines than some 65 year olds that I check into the ER, but I am otherwise healthy.  I am blessed.  I appreciate everyone's concern and prayers.  I just hope I don't sound like I'm whining too much (), so please tell me if I begin to, or are already sounding a bit pathetic.  Please?

 

Love to all...

 

De ;)

 

Tags: Eragon, Evil Stepmother, Urologist, Sick, Healthy

Saturday

Hello everyone!  Have you been?  I haven't popped on in a couple of days.  Worked and went to my "bladder rescue" #3 on Friday morning.  I spoke with Brenda, my nurse (who I found out isn't a nurse but a medical assistant - wow who would've guess) that it is not normal to have increased discomfort with this procedure.  Brenda states that if I continue to have increased pain (which I have since yesterday) then we need to talk to the doctor and see about switching medications or do a different procedure.  There is one where you have to have conscious sedation and they blow up your bladder and irrigate with a different medicine.  The doctor didn't want to do that right off the bat because it is considered more invasive.  I'm about ready for it, I tell ya.  I just pretty much laid in bed for most of the day, getting up to get Caleb, feed the kids, etc.

 

Another reason I haven't been on the computer very much is Hannah's computer is down right now.  David has been trying to fix it, but...and Hannah needs the computer to do school and (most important, right?) to socialize.  I really don't mind.  I don't need to plant my big 'ole butt in this chair all day anyway.  And, Hannah is leaving on Tuesday for the next 7 weeks.  Boo Hoo, hiss hiss.

 

Speaking of Hannah leaving, I have to fly with her.  Ugh.  I would usually have Stephanie fly with Hannah, but I promised Hannah that she could go to this church function which starts on Friday.  So, due to work schedules and not wanting to get her there at the last minute, I have to fly her back on Tues, which means I have to flybecause Stephanie is in class (and besides, we still haven't heard from Stephanie to date).  So that means I have to fly back ALL BY MYSELF!  Double ugh.

 

I also hate the fact that I will be in OKC and not be able to see Elizabeth.  She is upset, too.  Bee will be in clinicals all day on Tuesday.  It won't matter what time she gets out in the afternoon, I will have to get back to OKC before she can get over to the airport and spend more than 15-30 minutes with me.  So...I'll plan better next time and hopefully I can stay overnight.  That would be nice.

 

Well, we were planning on going to the movies today but we all slept in so late and wouldn't have time to get ready.  Normally it wouldn't be an issue, but the movie we want to see, Eragon, is in it's last hoorah at the theaters and is only showing two times today and we missed the last showing.  So, we will go tomorrow and go to the mall tonight and hit Borders.  Always a good time held by all.

 

Well, I guess I will pop off of here and get in the shower. I will catch up with everyone later and respond to my comments (I haven't forgotten you and I so appreciate my J-Land friends).  I don't work again until Wednesday.

 

De;)

Tags: Urologist, Eragon, Borders, Flying

Wednesday

Well, I've started dinner in the crockpot again.  This time it's French Country Chicken.  I set out peas, corn, and bread for Hannah to finish cooking later as I have to go to work tonight.  Smells pretty good to me.

 

Nice weather today, sunny and warm, 63 degrees right now at nearly 5:00pm.  How is it with the rest of you guys?

 

Hey, I have a special prayer request.  My sister Kathryn has been having some health issues lately, and just met with her doctor today for some tests results.  Here is her accounting:  Well when we first arrived the doctor went over the ct results.  But they showed that the mass is about 3.7 by 2.1.  It also showed I have some cysts on my kidneys that will have to be looked at further down the line.  It showed that all pancreas , liver, spleen, gallbadder, bile ducts, lungs, adrenals, appear normal. along with the lympth nodes.  As we were sitting there, he recieved the results of the biospy.  I was trying to read his expression and finally he said a WOW this is good news.  A sigh of relief.  It has been diagnosed as endometriosis and not cancer which is excellant news!!!!  While the report has shown no cancer, because of the texture and location of the mass the doctor wants me to go see a gyno oncolgist just to be on the safe side.  He is 95% sure there is no cancer but he wants to be thorough.  Soooooooo there was a choice between dallas and shreveport.  scott knows the one in shreveport and luckily my ins covers him. so i have another appt next wed with him.  The fun never ends..lol.. As far as treatment, so far surgery is the best option.Thank you so much for all the prayers...keep them coming. 

 

On another note, hope everyone is doing good.  I have to work tonight and tomorrow, so I probably won't be on very much until Friday.  Have a great couple of days.

 

De

 

Tags: Dinner, Kathryn, oncologist

Tuesday

Okay, fun filled day here.  Not, lol.  I have been up and going all darn day and I think I am done, so put a fork in me.

 

I got up after sleeping only 45minutes and went to my 9:30 appointment for my 2nd bladder rescue after stopping off first at Starbucks (for my much needed  and which the doctor has told me I must give up - forgive me if I just ROTFLMHO) and by the Apothecary for my prescription.  I have been a bit concerned because I have actually been feeling worse since we did that one last week and I was wondering if that was normal.  But my regular nurse, Brenda, was tied up and so the "other" nurse did the procedure today.  Well she couldn't answer my question "I think I've heard that you feel worse before you feel better".  She might as well have said "I don't know what the heck I'm talking about" because that is what she really meant.  Then she didn't numb me up like Brenda, which really made me appreciate her.  Let's just say I was happy this one was over.

 

Okay, back home for a little while then off to the ultrasound - you must drink 44oz of water before you arrive 30minutes early - another ROTFLMHO.  Yeah right, you tell that to a person who gets bladder spasms from just holding the 12oz Diet Dr Pepper she just drank and she's likely to bite your head off, or anything else you might consider important to life.  So my response was "I'll do my best" when what I really meant was "not in this lifetime buddy".  But, unfortunately for me, I really, really needed to go potty while I was waiting for my ultrasound, and I was just getting up to find a bathroom when they called my name.  Oh darn it, they caught me!  So I decide I can hold it a little while longer, but I must have given away my intense discomfort to the ultrasound tech because she said "you know, your bladder is way too full for this scan, why don't you go empty it two cups full".  Sure thing sweetie!  Oh man, much better.  Now I can almost tolerate her pressing that hard probe into the other side of my body.  But in all reality, it wasn't so bad once I went potty.

 

So I'm laying here on this hard table with this hard probe digging into me and the tech playing twenty questions when I decide that if she can ask a few questions then so can I.  So when she said "Have you had a period recently?" instead of answering in the affirmative, I say "Why, do you see fluid in my uterus?".  She actually nods, but I didn't tell her either way.  So when she is measuring 150 different objects and asks "Have you ever had surgery on your female organs?" I say "Why, what do you see?"  So I think she is getting it that I'm providing all the answers here and I'm not getting any from her because she just looks at me.  Then she says "Are you experiencing heavy periods?" and I say "Why, are the fibroids still there?"  So this time she looks at me and says "Oh the radiologist will have to read the scan".  Okay, that ended that game.  Darn it, and I was having fun, ha ha.

 

Then I waited around after she was finished and got copies of the films and brought them home to my own personal radiologist.  Nana nana boo boo!  Unofficial reading by my experienced x-ray, ultrasound, mri, ct scan reading doctor/husband was"look how much your uterus is pressing on your bladder...see I told you I was right...look at all the fibroids in your uterus...you have a very large cyst on your right overy...no wonder you have been hurting".  Okay.  So a little validation going on here.

 

Run back home for a little bit, grab a bite to eat.  Alarm guy comes over and finishes his pet project of driving me legally insane by seeing how many tones he can make the alarm sound and how loud.  Oh is it time to go get Caleb?  Darn, sorry I can't play drive DeLana batty anymore. 

 

So I get Caleb and we come back and let the boy eat something while David runs.  Then I take them to Target because Hannah has been driving me the rest of my journey to insanity by asking fifty times a day to take her to get some t-shirts so she and Emily can make t-shirts when she gets back to OKC next week.  Oh and the boy had to get a new game, of course.

 

Back home.   Hey...I'm hungry.  Who is going to do something about it because refer back to the first paragraph when I said "I'm done."  Oh my loving DH said "I will get you whatever you want".  Okay.  On The Border it is, but I did get grilled chicken and steamed veggies for those who are making sure I stick to my diet. ;)

 

Oh, are you needing an "awwwwwwwww" moment today?  Let me provide one for you.  Caleb's homework for today was to take $100 and write down how he would make the world a better place.  So Caleb says "I'm going to be a super hero and save the kids" (now he has been saying this since we moved to Sumter, SC two years ago and had not deviated from this at all).  So I go, "Okay, tell me how you are going to save the kids."  So the following is what the boy came up with all on his own:

"I would give my $100 to...

1.  Police to help protect kids from bad guys.

2.  Doctors for medicine for the sick kids to get well.

3.  Buy new wheelchairs for kids who can't walk.

4.  Build new schools so kids can learn; and

5.  Buy kids dogs to help them walk if they are blind."

 

That's my boy, Caleb Marc, Superhero!

 

Well, better call it a day.  As I've said twice before, "I'm done", and it's the boy's bedtime and he said I get to lay down with him.  Hey, how can I refuse?  It's not everyday you get to lay down with your very own Superhero, you know!

 

Nighty, Night and sweet dreams!

 

De

 

Tags: Urologist, Ultrasound, Insane, Shopping, Saving the Kids, Make the World a Better Place, Superhero

Monday - Entry #2

So my second entry in one day, how rare is that? Ha ha.  But I thought I would vent out my frustrations about Stephanie (my step-daughter for those of you new to my journal).

As some of you may know, Stephanie has been working for us as a nanny/housekeeper since moving to Phoenix from Oklahoma City almost two years ago.  Well, as of late, Stephanie has been less than reliable and often argumentative.  Last week I found out that while running errands, Stephanie did not put my 6 year old son, Caleb, in a car seat.  Her excuse was that we took away "her" carseat and gave it to the "new sitter", which is not true.  Yes we took the carseat and said it needed to stay here and she didn't need to keep it her car as we needed it (Stephanie's boyfriend has a 10 year old son hardly in need of a booster seat).  So she was really mad and said that Lindsi (new sitter) had the carseat.  Well that wasn't true.  The carseat was in the garage and she knew that because she had been out there multiple times before leaving on errands because she was putting up Christmas decorations.  And, if she couldn't find a carseat, or one truly wasn't available to her, then she should have called me or not gone all together.  But Stephanie chose to take out her anger on us hiring a new part time sitter on her little brother.  How horrible is that to put your little brother's life in danger over a petty jealousy?  Well at any rate, I fired Stephanie.  I did, however, give her the option to work her last shift or not, but they were not to leave the house at all.  Stephanie accepted.

So Stephanie shows up late to babysit because of the ice on the road (i thought it was a lame excuse at first until I drove in it - see earlier entry posted this morning).  Then the minute she walks in the door (and excuse me if this offends anyone) Stephanie said (and I quote), "It smells like ass in here."  What?!  What kind of comment is that?  She's darn lucky I was already on my way to work. David was here and griped her out. She said "well it does stink".  It didn't stink.  It was dinner cooking.  Whatever.  Then I get a phone call at 7:40 from Steph saying "Can you call Lindsi to come over because I can't stay here anymore."  "Why not?"  "Because I just can't".  Long pause by me biting my tongue.  "Steph, I gave you every opportunity to back out of tonight and you took every opportunity to say you wanted to work this shift.  So what exactly is the problem?"  "The situation changed."  "Fine, I'll call you back."

First I called Lindsi and left a message.  Second I called and talked to Hannah on her phone to make sure it would be alright with her to stay the rest of the night by herself with Caleb, get him up and ready for school, and I would get off early and take him to school.  Hannah said fine.  So third, I called Stephanie "You can go right now"  "Okay, thanks".  That was it.  Lindsi did call back and came over about 9:30.  David was actually still there as he didn't have to be at work until 11pm, but he was sleeping.  He called me on his way into work and said "Why is Lindsi here?  What happened to Stephanie?"  I'm like "heck if I know, why don't you call her?"  So he did but she wouldn't answer her phone last night or today at all.  I've sent her an email but so far no response.  Geez.

 

I was really proud of Hannah because she did exactly the right thing last night.  Stephanie came to Hannah and asked for Lindsi's phone number.  Hannah said she didn't have it and why did Stephanie want to her to call Lindsi.  So Stephanie said "I can't stay here anymore.  Can you find the phone and call your Mom and ask her to call Lindsi?"  Hannah said she just looked at Stephanie and got up and found the phone.  When she did find the phone Hannah said she just handed it to Stephanie and said "Here's the phone.  If you want to leave, then you have to be the one to call Mom."  Whoo hoo Hannah!  Way to go!  Perfect way to handle that situation!  She made Stephanie accountable for her own actions.

 

Well I hope you guys had a less dramatic night. ;)

 

De

 

Tags: carseat, sitter, you're fired!

Monday - It Snowed in Phoenix

You are not going to believe this, but it snowed in Phoenix last night!  Seriously!  I was on my way to work and all of a sudden the rain turned into freezing rain and snow.  There were wrecks everywhere, but thank goodness my BMW X5 did just fine, thank you God!  Here are some pictures from some people here in Phoenix and submitted to a local TV news station.  I cannot take credit for a single one of these pictures as I did not have a camera with me.

This is what it looked like starting out.  Does it remind anyone of tornado season?

 

Some beautiful snow covered scenery amongst the desert plants...

 

 

This is snow on the "Four Peaks" Mountain...

This is "Flatiron" at Superstition Mountain...

How awesome is God's handiwork?

Well, snuggle in tight and keep warm.  I've just finished a very busy shift and am headed off to bed.  Yawn!  :)

Tags: Phoenix snow