Happy New Year!

Here's wishing everyone a very happy 2009. I am glad that 2008 is behind us, and am looking forward to what 2009 has to offer. Thank you all for your love and friendship. It means the world to me. Jay and I are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives, even if many of you are thousands of miles away. Hopefully, we'll see more of you in 2009. We love you!

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We're home

Jay was finally discharged from the hospital tonight around 9:30. What an ordeal! We had to wait all afternoon to be discharged, and at about 5:30 we started getting pretty annoyed. The neurosurgeon said that on his end, we were good to go home. That was at about 11:30 this morning. So the nurse called the attending, who said she would be by in a few hours. Fine. Ok. We'll wait a few hours. Well, 3 p.m. came around, and still no sign of her. Then, the next thing we know, a neurologist shows up for a consult, at the request of the attending doctor. Um... we have a neurosurgeon who came in and did an evaluation this morning, and said we were good to go home. I'm sure the look on our faces was priceless when she told us she was from neurology. And when I mentioned that we had already been ok'd by our neurosurgeon - who did Jay's four previous back surgeries - her response was, "Well, I guess this visit will be quick then." And, sadly, my only thought was, "And quite expensive, I'm sure."

So, she gives Jay the ok (I think she was more afraid of what we would have done had she not given Jay the ok), says she's going to write the orders for the attenidng so we can leave. The nurse comes in, takes Jay's IV out, and says she's going to call the attending with the list of medications we wanted to go home with. She calls, and comes back in to tell us that the attending won't release us until we see the pain management doctor, and he won't be up for another two hours. And then we have to wait to see the attending (who, if you remember, was going to be by in the early afternoon), and she had no time frame for when she would be up.

By this point in the day, it's 6:30, and this is where we both went a little ballistic. "You're telling us that we have to wait to see a guy who spent 15 seconds with us last night, never introcuced himself, let alone discussed treatment options, and then changed the meds without telling us, and now we have to wait two hours to see him. Are they out of their f#^&@!* mind?!?!?!?! They wouldn't wait two hours for us! Heck, they wouldn't even wait 30 minutes, I'm sure. Can the attending not make a decision on pain medicine, of which she consulted with the pain management doctor on, to discharge us?" That's pretty much how the conversation with the nurse went. And I feel sorry for her, because she was just the messanger, but by this point in time we were back to the ridiculousness that began his whole ordeal. We were told we could leave, but we wouldn't have any meds, so it was a catch 22 situation. Very frustating. Obviously, both the pain management doc and the attending got to us so we could be released, but again, it was after 9 p.m.

The whole experience was a blessing in disguise, now that I look back on it. And a nasty rollercoaster ride, too. Had they released us after the first MRI on Saturday, and then Jay had the spasms, etc., at home, what would we have done? But who knows if that even would have happened. He was so congested from laying in bed for two days straight, which made him cough and have the spasms in the first place, but would he have been that congested had he not been laying in bed? It's all a "what if?" game, and I could sit here and play it all night, but I won't. It'll only drive me crazy. I'm just glad that he is home and not in as much pain and resting comfortably. The neurosurgeon said no surgery for the herniated discs, that 85 percent of the time they heal on their own, but Jay is a unique situation, and he could be wrong, and for us to check back with him in a few weeks. Jay just needs to take it easy, which (like me) is easier said than done. Especially with everything else going on in our lives at the moment.

Thank you all for your concern and well wishes. I really appreciate it!

It's time for some action

That's my motto for today. We need some action with Jay and his treatment so that we can get out of this joint.

I'm happy to report that Jay finally got some stronger pain meds and muscle relaxers (after asking for these for over 24 hours) from his attending doc, as well as a steroid (shock! something I suggested a few days ago), and is able to sit up and walk to the bathroom. This is very good news, as the spasms had pretty much crippled him to the point he couldn't move at all. He literally laid in one position in the bed for probably 18 hours straight. So when he said he wanted to try to get up yesterday, I was relieved.

His attending doc (not the neuro doc) has assigned a pain management doctor to Jay. I'm not overly excited about this, as we'd like to fix the problem to get rid of the pain, not "manage" the pain. He came in last night right after Jay sat up for the first time in a day, didn't even introduce himself other than letting us know he is the pain management doctor, asked Jay what his pain level was (a question he HATES), said he would come back to discuss treatment options with us, and then disappeared. And the next round of meds were prescribed by him, to which Jay and I had a lot of questions (because it was different than what the attending prescribed, and Jay had only had one dose of thossee meds so we didn't have a chance to find out if they really worked or not) that the poor nurse couldn't really answer. The drugs pretty much knocked Jay unconcious, to which he said he doesn't want anything that strong again. So, that doc has already pissed me off. Have the respect and courtesy to talk to us before you go pumping drugs in Jay's system. Which I guess is the difference between us and a lot of other patients. I've noticed that a lot of people just lay there and take whatever is prescribed without asking questions. That seems crazy to me. Jay wants to feel better, but he also doesn't want to be drugged up on so many meds that he barely knows who he is and is afraid to move because he doesn't know if he's hurting or not. He wants to be treated to fix the problem. If it's just a herniated disc or two, then what are our options? PT? A shot? Chiro? Laying in a bed for four days certainly can't be a viable option.

We're now waiting on the results from the second MRI that Jay had done yesterday. Hopefully this will give us some answeres. If not, it's time for some action!

So that's why I say we need some action. And I'm going to ask the docs what their plan is and how soon we can get started. If we're just going to pump drugs in his system, I can do that at home, where a) Jay can be more comfortable, and b) it won't cost so much. God only knows how much this hospital visit is costing us. We may have to take out that second mortgage after all...

hospital update

Ok, so my post yesterday was a little harsh, ok a lot harsh, and I apologize. It's just that this entire process has been so incredibly frustrating. And such bad timing on so many levels for so many reasons.

Here's the latest. We are still at the hospital. Jay coughed yesterday evening and felt something pop again in his back, which set off his back into massive spasms every time he tried to move. So bad at one point that he passed out. That's when I kind of had a feeling we weren't going home. For those of you that know Jay, you know that he has a very high tolerance for pain, so I'm sure this pain was excrutiating if it caused him to pass out.

After much pleading and prodding from us and the nurse, his neuro doc finally came to the hospital at 11:15 last night (I think we paged him four times). He was none too pleased, but I won't go into that. I'm afraid I won't say anything nice, and my mom always taught me that if I can't say anything nice about someone, I shouldn't say anything at all. So I'll keep my mouth shut about that part of the evening. Anyway, I digress. The neuro doc said the MRI revealed two herniated - not ruptured - disks, but given the events of the day with his cough and subsequent pop, he ordered another MRI. Jay is having that done as I type this. This one is on the entire spine. He was able to sleep (mostly drug-induced) for about eight hours last night (off and on with them coming in to give meds and take vitals), which means I was able to get a little shut eye as well.

Hopefully today's MRI will tell us something new. If not, I'm not real sure where we go from here. Any suggestions are appreciated. I just know that I'm tired of being at the hospital (I know, I know... no one really likes hospitals anyway). Never in my wildest dreams did I think that going to the ER for an MRI would evolve into this big, huge, expensive ordeal. But I do know that he is in an incredible amount of pain, and we have to find an answer, so I'll be by his side the whole way. He would do the same for me.

Still at the hospital

It's after 8 p.m. on Saturday, and we are still at the hospital. Yes, this has reached the highest point of ridiculousness. I have lost my patience, and so has Jay.

The nurse this morning told us that it may be today or tomorrow for the MRI. That was not acceptable as that is the sole reason we're in this joint to begin with. For a stinking MRI. So I called down to MRI myself, and surprise! they were up within 30 minutes to get Jay to take him down. When we got back up, I asked the nurse what we needed to do to get discharged. That was at 12:30 p.m. Again, it's now after 8 p.m., and we're still here.

Apparently, nobody wants to "be responsible for discharging Jay if something is seriously wrong." Um, hello?!?! We've been telling you something is seriously wrong. We KNOW something is seriously wrong. That's why we're here. For you to send the MRI report and films to our doctor, who is aware that something is seriously wrong, so he can handle it. Not for you to sit here and continue to give him pain pills every 4 hours in an uncomfortable bed while charging us out the ass, when he could be resting semi-comfortably at home.

This is absolutely ridiculous! This is why I despise hospitals (no offense to those of you who work at them), but I've never had a good experience at one. This isn't our first rodeo with his back problem. It's not even our second rodeo. It's the fifth. And it's no different than any of the other four, except that it all happened over a holiday when the doctor was out and no imaging plaes were open, so we had to come to the ER for imaging, which in turn put us in this position. Yes, I'm pissed. This is the most ridiculous experience I've ever been through.

surgery update

So Jay was supposed to have knee surgery on Monday, but it looks like that is going to be postponed. He fell earlier this week and "tweaked" his back. While he was getting dressed today, he felt his back pop, like it's done prior to the four previous times he's had back surgery. We called his doctor's office. They instructed us to come to the ER for imaging. We've now been here for almost 7 hours, only to find out that they can't do an MRI through the ER, so Jay has to be admitted. And we have no idea when we'll be able to actually get an MRI. So, we'll be spending the night tonight for sure in the hospital, and that's about all I know. If I were a betting woman, I'd bet a good amount of money that Jay will be in for his fifth back surgery in the near future. However, this one will probably be the worst, as his doctor told him after the last one that if this happens again, he won't operate unless it's to do a fusuion. So, we'll have to wait and see what happens. I'll try to keep updating as much as I can. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Merry Christmas

From Jay and I to all of you... A Christmas Story.


It's a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

"Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.

"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon," replied Rosita.

"Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang...

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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All I want for Christmas...

Is a green piece of paper!!!! For the love of God?!?! Is this seriously happening? Many of you probably think I have lost my mind right about now, so let me explain. The Clear Lake Shores building permits are printed on a green piece of paper. That's all I want. A building permit. Nothing more. REALLY. And it seems to be a much more difficult process than I ever anticipated. It's so frustrating to have the insurance money sitting in a bank (albeit, earning interest), and to have the contractor lined up, and nothing happening. So, Santa, if you're out there... please bring me the friggin' green piece of paper!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy holidays to all!

Military Thanks

So I may not have my house to live in right now, but I do have a roof over my head and am surrounded by my family and friends. There are thousands of people in our country who aren't so lucky because their loved ones are fighting oversees for this great country of ours. I just want to take a moment to say thank you to those folks and their families. Thank you for sacrificing for us. Thank you for believing in and loving this country so much that you put your life on the line each and every day. I can't imagine what it's like being away from your family and friends, especially this time of year.

If you would like to say thanks to our military personnel, click here. This organization, called "Let's Say Thanks," provides a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women. The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country. All you have to do is click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. Xerox is behind this. They print the cards which are then mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops.

Finally, watch the video below. It shows just how much our military personnel are missed by their families (you might want to grab a tissue). Please remember to keep these folks in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season. I know I am. When I'm feeling down and depressed about my situation, I think about these folks, and I realize it might not be so bad.

The ball is rolling

Yesterday was a big day for us in moving towards getting back in our house. We've decided (ok, we're 90% sure) to go with our neighbor, who is a contractor, to remodel the house. He came over yesterday and was at the house for over three hours. That was the first thing that impressed me about him. Aside from that, he thinks outside of the box. He's not just your general contractor who will install sheetrock, carpet, cabinets, etc. He's also a builder, so he has the knowledge and the "eye" for certain looks. And I loved that about him. For instance, in the master bath, he says to me, "What about an arch above the tub?" Um... I had never thought about that before. Simple, yes, but a great way to class up the bathroom a little. The other thing that I am very excited about is the ceilings. We wanted to get a quote on what it would take to sheetrock the ceilings (the current ceiling in the living / dining room is that old-school, 70's, particle board type tile, that I hate). He got up in the attic and looked around, and says, "There's nothing really for us to stick the sheetrock to, but why don't you just open this up and make this a vaulted ceiling? You have all the boards here, and it wouldn't take much. We do this type of thing all the time." Hello?!?! A vaulted ceiling!!! Holy cow! Who knew? Not to mention, he's going to be able to drop the floor in the back room rather easily (which we weren't so sure about). It was like that throughout the rest of the house. But he wasn't over the top. He knows that we don't have all the money in the world (otherwise, he'd be building us a new house rather than remodeling this one), but he knows what little things to do that can make a big difference. And, while we were there with him, he got his electrical / HVAC trades guy (who happens to also own one of the best A/C businesses in League City) to come to the house to look at the electrical and HVAC since we have to replace all of that as well.

So, we're pretty sure we have a contractor in place. Now all we need are the building / construction permits. But that's a whole separate issue that I won't go into right now. I'm just happy that the ball is rolling (albeit slowly). I did get a homework assignment out of all of this... I need to figure out what look I want in the house. I have lots of decisions to make, everything from cabinet door fronts and countertops, to what type of wood beams, and from windows to french doors. Decisions, decisions... I'll be looking at a lot of magazines in the near future.

Snow pics

Here are some pictures of tonight's snowfall. It was beautiful!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW!

It's snowing. In Houston. On the Gulf Coast. On December 10, 2008. And it hasn't stopped for several hours. It's starting to accumulate on cars and boats. Jay told the guy at the convenience store tonight that it's some funny looking rain. Ha! In all reality, it is kinda cool. For a few hours. And then I'll be longing for the 79 degree weather we had yesterday. Yes, that's right. You read correctly. It was 79 and partly cloudy and muggy here yesterday, and it is now 31 and snowing. That's Texas weather for ya!

On another note, enjoy the video below. It's our way of saying Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Good news, bad news and good news again

I'll start with the good news. Jay and I are Aunt and Uncle again! YIPPEE!!!!!! Our friends, CK and J, had a baby boy this morning, and we hear he is healthy and beautiful. We are so happy and excited for our friends, and we can't wait to see pictures of AJK and eventually meet him! CK and J went through so much to bring him into this world, it truly is a blessing that he is finally here with us. We love you guys so much and can't wait for you to come home next summer for good!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!

And now for the bad news. We found out yesterday that Jay has to have surgery on his knee (his sixth since we've been together... mind you, he never had surgery before he met me. I'm not implying anything, just sayin'). Apparently, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, on the first day we were back at the house to clean up, when we were moving the refrigerator, the door opened (it was full of water and face down on the floor) and hit him on the left knee. At the time, he didn't really think anything of it, plus adrenaline was in full swing for a few weeks, so he didn't really notice it. It's been bothering him since then, so he finally gave in to see an orthopedic doctor out of UTMB. Turns out he tore the cartilage all the way down to the bone. The doctor likened it to a pothole in the road. Nice, eh? Surgery is now scheduled for the 29th. They'll do a scope for sure, as well as an OATS procedure, and most likely a regrowth procedure. The one that his doctor prefers involves drilling holes into the knee bone itself to allow the stem cells to regrow. Sounds painful just thinking about it. He'll be out for six weeks, on crutches, and then extensive rehab and PT.

And this is where I get mad. Not at Jay, but at Ike and our whole situation. Let me preface this by saying again, I am thankful we have a place to live. However, there are no full bathrooms on the bottom floor, so if, after surgery, Jay wishes to take a shower while he is on crutches and has to stay off of his leg, or if he wishes to sleep in bed with me, he must literally crawl somehow (probably backwards on his butt) up the stairs and then back down again (although, not backwards). At our house, he could simply hobble his way to the bathroom as there are no stairs. We were hoping to get started on construction on the house after the first part of the new year, but this may now be put off. We were planning on doing some things ourselves, but now it looks like we may have to rethink that plan. Actually, I know we'll have to rethink that plan. When does the madness and ridiculousness stop? Really. I'm tired of the continued fallout from the storm. It's really starting to piss me off.

And, because I don't want to be "Debbie Downer" today, I'll end on some good news. It may not be good news to all of you, but it's the little things in life that make me smile, and Chuy's jalapeno sauce makes me smile. I just happen to be going there for lunch today. I'll be sure to think of all of you (you know who you are) while I am stuffing my face with chips and jalapeno sauce.

Have a great weekend!

Best first dance ever