Weekend Ball Game!

Hangin' out in the dug-out.
Look at that form!

It's a hit!

Northern Fans!

G&G Mehmen came down to watch C-man play. We were so glad to have them.

Procedure Planned for Friday

Just an update on the stone situation.

No, I haven't passed it.....Dr. said it is too big to pass.

I went to visit him this morning and (yes, he is cute.)

He showed me the films of the kidney stone and I was impressed with that. He said there is no possibility to pass the stone so I will be having a Lithotripsy on Friday.



Lithotripsy is a fancy and fun word that basically means a machine will break up the stone in my kidney by sonic waves....side effects will be a bruised back, bruised kidney and hematuria (blood in urine). The stone should break up in tiny particles so I can pass them....if the Dr. thinks they are still to big after being broken up, he will place a stent in that would hook up from kidney to bladder...the stent is bigger than the ureter and will help pass the stones........he said the Lithotripsy has a 85-90% chance of success.



So, I called my supervisor at work and they are awesome and very supportive with this. I told them I could work but won't know when these spells come on and sometimes they come on so strong that I have to take narcotics and may even throw-up.

(These spells are called renal colic.....)

Kinda sad if your nurse is caring for you and looks like she's in rougher shape than you are???? But since our census is still low and my supervisor and manager are empathetic with this, I'll be on a personal leave until next week.
Pictures for you visual people are located on this site:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19246.htm

You Have to feel a little sorry for me.........

For the past two weeks I've had waves of pain in my left side that is accompanied with nausea and vomiting. I went to the Dr.'s office two weeks ago and discovered no, I'm not prego...just a UTI.

So I went through my antibiotic regimen and felt better. Yesterday, I started having the waves of pain again.
I went to work at the "mothership" hospital....(that's what I call the downtown hospital because it is so huge!) I'm caring for my patients guarding my left side and sweating. I don't want to show too much emotion...I'm floating on another floor and don't know anyone...but after I barfed, I had to disclose my disposition. Thankfully, they let me go and I went straight to ER.

I'm glad I did, I was just going to ride it out... BUT, I found answers last night. My wonderful, super, fantastic husband met me at the ER and waited the 5 hours to find out I have a kidney stone....a 9mm one...now that's HUGE on the kidney stone Richter scale......the picture above is an 8mm one.

I spoke with the Urologist (I heard he's good looking! better shave my legs for my appointment tomorrow!) He said I have a 50% chance of passing this baby. If I have severe pain to call him today, otherwise see him tomorrow at the clinic and then wait for it to pass in a week and then follow up with him if it doesn't.......
SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?!?!
I'd rather give birth again...maybe because the lovely epidurals took the pain away! Maybe I'll call the Urologist up and ask for a week's worth of epidural....I know that's not even feasible! I did get some pain meds to help me through it.....so, just send some prayers this way if you have some time....and I wouldn't mind you feeling a little sorry for me but don't spend too long....that's what I've decided I'll be doing too! I've got things to do and people to see and stones to pass!

(Can you tell I'm looped up???)

p.s. did I tell you about how my supportive MIL stayed with the kids last night so that my wonderful, super, fantastic husband could hang with me last night into the early hours.......thank you both of you.....Starbucks may be your priority today!

Now excuse me as I drink my water and deliver a ginormous stone!

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo........

How about you, you, you?

You can come too, too, too.

We're going to the zoo!

C-man & E at the zoo.
Cheesin' it with the classmates. (not all of them)

Hanging around and eager to get their picture taken!

Miss-O got to come along on the field trip too!

Watching the seal show was fun!

playing at the playground was doubly fun!

feeding Mr. goat, I gave him 4 quarters to feed the animals...what does he do? he pockets the money and picks up loose pellets from the ground......hmmmm......my little frugal guy already!

Miss-O was proud to stand in line with the big kids, she thought she was pretty cool!

Happy Birthday Wishes!

H-helpful

A-always caring

P-personable

P-pretty

Y-yes, she has wonderful hand-writing that should be a font named Brooke

B-Beautiful

I-is so attentive to her children

R-Respectful

T-terrific sister-in-law

H-happy

D-delight to be around

A-Amazing Mother

Y-yes, just genuine

B-Brent's true love

R-really have a lot in common with each other

O-Outstanding

O-organized

K-kind

E-empathetic

Frugal or Fatal??

Let's Talk Gardening!

I'm very fond of gardening. As I think I should be, it's in my family roots (no pun attended!)

I grew up as a farm-girl, my Mother gardened a huge garden when I was a child and Dad plowed and harvested many a corn/beans/alfalfa. Even my Grandpa was into gardening; I remember each time we visited making the walk around his house as he pointed out all of his flowers and plants. Same goes for my Grandma Mehmen, she also didn't mind getting her hands in the earth and raising many veggies, etc. that were prepared on the table. Oh how I miss her rhubarb goodies!

As the children get older, I have the pleasure of spending more time and doing more gardening around the house. Monday, I spent two hours. I planted Day Lillies that came from the farm. I transplanted my root-bound Hosta and made 7 new plants from it. I was so proud of myself.....while running my hands in the dirt and spading the earth and letting earthworms squirm in between my fingers, I was thinking to myself......"what a cheap way of gardening! All I have to do is hack away at plants and then distribute them elsewhere!"

After digging and watering, I noticed the plants look floppy and dead? I called 911-Mom and told her the signs and symptoms of my 2 hour project.....she reassured me they would look this way until the roots take hold.....I hope they take hold soon, because they look SO pathetic.

The Huge Hosta I chopped into........it did lay nicely afterwards, never would know I took huge clumps from it.....but it looks so sad:(
The Day Lillies look nice, I just pray they can hold up from the dog rolling around in them.....YES, after sweating I look over and see the dog enjoying my lillies and oh no, she was not sniffing them or looking at them dreamily.....she was ON TOP of them rolling around...I scolded her and hope that was the end of it.....

These don't look so healthy and you should see them now after the rain.....flat as pancakes......
Only time will tell if my 2 hour project was frugal or fatal....I'll keep you posted!