So, here's another snippet of my neighborhood. I went to our storage unit last week to get some 4th of July decorations, and I saw that most of the units had been broken into. One of ours (that we let a neighbor use) was broken into and then about 6 more in that unit. It looked like someone took a crowbar to the doors and just popped the handles right off. Luckily for us, they didn't get into the one our stuff was in. Not that there would be anything of interest to them in there (except maybe awesome seasonal decorations from Krumpets). It looked like the burglars tried to bust a hole in our door with a crow bar and just gave up. And I'm glad, because, honestly, I don't think I could deal with that right now. I called the HOA manager and let him know and his response was this: "well, I guess I'll have to go down there tomorrow and check it out and then let the people who own the ones broken into about it sometime next week." Um... is it just me or should he be looking into this situation STAT? Robert called the neighbors who are using our extra unit to let them know and they said that as far as they could tell, nothing was stolen, but what about the rest of the people?
And here's another sad story. The Walgreens down the street was robbed last night by some crazy addict looking for Oxycontin. I sure hope my favorite pharmacist wasn't harmed in the robbery. There was a gun pulled! Although, I take comfort in the fact that if Pharmacist Spandy were there that he would have talked the guy out of it ;)
And another even sadder story. I was sitting at the interestion where the Walgreens is and I looked next to me at a guy sitting under a tree in front of the 7 Eleven, and he was smoking a doobie! Right there in front of the Sev! And how do I know he was smoking a joint? I learned what marijuana smelled like as part of my first-class education at Westchester High School. Even though it is a top 1500 school, it had its fair share of potheads. Anyway... I thought about calling the police, but I knew they wouldn't get there in time to catch him in the act. Seriously, what is the neighborhood coming to?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Sometimes Life is Hard
I had hoped to be making a very big announcement on my blog in the next few weeks. Very big. You see, Robert and I decided that we should start a family and I got pregnant like right that second. It was news to me, because I actually thought it would take months. Robert and I were both ecstatic - it would be a birthday baby for me! I wanted to tell everyone the minute we found out, but my mother-in-law reminded me to keep things quiet for a bit because "things can happen."
Well, things did happen. I had morning sickness for about 3 days in week 5 and then it stopped completely. In my gut, I knew something was wrong. I started getting cramps in the lower-right side of my pelvis, but everyone said that cramps in early pregnancy could be completely normal. I called my midwife and she thought it would be a good idea to do an early ultra sound at 7 weeks. The week I had to wait until then was terrible. The pain was getting worse and I was really starting to worry.
The ultra sound showed nothing. My uterus was completely empty. And the worst part was that Robert and I could see all of this on a 40 in. LCD TV right in front of us. The tech wanted to give the benefit of the doubt, so she ordered me to go take another pregnancy test. It was positive, so she tried the ultra sound again. There was still nothing. And then the ultra sound tech said that I had an ectopic pregnancy and that the midwife would come talk to me soon. I was crushed. The news from the midwife was grim. All I heard was "no viability," "terminate the pregnancy." I was told that I'd be given a medication that would , for all intents and purposes, "take care of the ectopic pregnancy."
Robert and I left the office feeling devastated. We had barely found out I was pregnant and now we were hearing that it was over. It was a lot to handle, but I truly felt comforted by the Holy Ghost that God loved me and Robert and that everything would be OK.
Before we left the midwife's office, they drew blood to see where my HCG levels were at. I received a call the next day and the nurse told me that the level was quite high for an ectopic pregnancy and that now the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy could possibly be ruled out. We were given a glimmer of hope that things might still be OK and that I just wasn't as far along as I originally thought. I needed to have my blood drawn a few more times to see if the HCG levels grew or dropped. My second test revealed that the level had gone up by 400, but in a normal pregnancy the level should double every 48-72 hours. This was not the case. The next 3 tests revealed that the levels were dropping, but my midwife wanted to do just one more ultra sound just to make sure there was no pregnancy in my uterus before I was given the medication.
During the week I had to wait, I prayed so hard that the pregnancy would be viable and that everything would be OK. The next ultra sound still showed nothing in my uterus. At this point, all chances of viability were ruled out. I didn't have a problem with taking care of the ectopic pregnancy because I knew that my health was in jeopardy, but I had a problem with the terms used while talking about taking care of it. "Terminate the pregnancy, "induce a miscarriage." It just sounded so awful.
And my midwife didn't make matters any better. I won't name names, but I will never go to her again. I've never seen anyone try to fake sympathy as hard as she did. I also felt like the office staff didn't give a lick about what was happening to me. Out of everything, that was the hardest part. My options were never explained to me, and I was just told by the nurse to go to the hospital the next day. I asked to speak to the midwife and was told I may have to wait a while because she had 3 patients she needed to see before lunch. I told the nurse I would wait, and then when I finally did get to talk to the midwife she told me that I needed to make a decision right now as to what I was going to do. I asked her about another option I had heard of, and she told me that I didn't know what I was talking about and that if I wanted that option I would most certainly have to pay for it out of my own pocket because it wasn't within the standard of care. And then she threw out her credentials about having practiced for 10 years and where was I getting my information. I may not have a medical degree, but I have a degree in Google and it has been my best friend throughout this whole situation. I've also had my body for 32 years and I think I might have some clue as to what will be best for it. I told her that I wasn't ready to make a decision yet and that I would get back to her.
I had already made the decision that taking the drug as opposed to surgery was the best option, but I didn't like her attitude with me the whole time. And I didn't like it even more when the hospital called to check me in for the procedure. I told her I wasn't ready to make a decision yet and she scheduled everything at the hospital anyway. Needless to say, I'm looking for an obstetrician. A high risk obstetrician, if anybody knows of one in Utah County.
I went to the hospital on Wednesday for the injection of Methotrexate and was really pleased with the sensitivity of the nurse working with me. He even gave me a Diet Coke and let me watch Dr. Phil while I had to be there. Although I was injected with chemo, it didn't hurt and for the most part, I've felt OK. Really tired and really nauseated, but OK. I guess I thought I would feel differently.
Through the past few weeks, I have felt the love of the Lord buoy me up. I have had my moments where I've felt incredibly lonely and sad, but Heavenly Father has always sent someone to me during those times. And through prayer and priesthood blessings from Robert, I have been assured that we will have another chance at having children. We never know why we have to go through trials, but perhaps I needed to go through this to be reminded that I am not in charge. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and knows what is best for us. I don't need to know why, I just need to know that everything will be OK.
Well, things did happen. I had morning sickness for about 3 days in week 5 and then it stopped completely. In my gut, I knew something was wrong. I started getting cramps in the lower-right side of my pelvis, but everyone said that cramps in early pregnancy could be completely normal. I called my midwife and she thought it would be a good idea to do an early ultra sound at 7 weeks. The week I had to wait until then was terrible. The pain was getting worse and I was really starting to worry.
The ultra sound showed nothing. My uterus was completely empty. And the worst part was that Robert and I could see all of this on a 40 in. LCD TV right in front of us. The tech wanted to give the benefit of the doubt, so she ordered me to go take another pregnancy test. It was positive, so she tried the ultra sound again. There was still nothing. And then the ultra sound tech said that I had an ectopic pregnancy and that the midwife would come talk to me soon. I was crushed. The news from the midwife was grim. All I heard was "no viability," "terminate the pregnancy." I was told that I'd be given a medication that would , for all intents and purposes, "take care of the ectopic pregnancy."
Robert and I left the office feeling devastated. We had barely found out I was pregnant and now we were hearing that it was over. It was a lot to handle, but I truly felt comforted by the Holy Ghost that God loved me and Robert and that everything would be OK.
Before we left the midwife's office, they drew blood to see where my HCG levels were at. I received a call the next day and the nurse told me that the level was quite high for an ectopic pregnancy and that now the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy could possibly be ruled out. We were given a glimmer of hope that things might still be OK and that I just wasn't as far along as I originally thought. I needed to have my blood drawn a few more times to see if the HCG levels grew or dropped. My second test revealed that the level had gone up by 400, but in a normal pregnancy the level should double every 48-72 hours. This was not the case. The next 3 tests revealed that the levels were dropping, but my midwife wanted to do just one more ultra sound just to make sure there was no pregnancy in my uterus before I was given the medication.
During the week I had to wait, I prayed so hard that the pregnancy would be viable and that everything would be OK. The next ultra sound still showed nothing in my uterus. At this point, all chances of viability were ruled out. I didn't have a problem with taking care of the ectopic pregnancy because I knew that my health was in jeopardy, but I had a problem with the terms used while talking about taking care of it. "Terminate the pregnancy, "induce a miscarriage." It just sounded so awful.
And my midwife didn't make matters any better. I won't name names, but I will never go to her again. I've never seen anyone try to fake sympathy as hard as she did. I also felt like the office staff didn't give a lick about what was happening to me. Out of everything, that was the hardest part. My options were never explained to me, and I was just told by the nurse to go to the hospital the next day. I asked to speak to the midwife and was told I may have to wait a while because she had 3 patients she needed to see before lunch. I told the nurse I would wait, and then when I finally did get to talk to the midwife she told me that I needed to make a decision right now as to what I was going to do. I asked her about another option I had heard of, and she told me that I didn't know what I was talking about and that if I wanted that option I would most certainly have to pay for it out of my own pocket because it wasn't within the standard of care. And then she threw out her credentials about having practiced for 10 years and where was I getting my information. I may not have a medical degree, but I have a degree in Google and it has been my best friend throughout this whole situation. I've also had my body for 32 years and I think I might have some clue as to what will be best for it. I told her that I wasn't ready to make a decision yet and that I would get back to her.
I had already made the decision that taking the drug as opposed to surgery was the best option, but I didn't like her attitude with me the whole time. And I didn't like it even more when the hospital called to check me in for the procedure. I told her I wasn't ready to make a decision yet and she scheduled everything at the hospital anyway. Needless to say, I'm looking for an obstetrician. A high risk obstetrician, if anybody knows of one in Utah County.
I went to the hospital on Wednesday for the injection of Methotrexate and was really pleased with the sensitivity of the nurse working with me. He even gave me a Diet Coke and let me watch Dr. Phil while I had to be there. Although I was injected with chemo, it didn't hurt and for the most part, I've felt OK. Really tired and really nauseated, but OK. I guess I thought I would feel differently.
Through the past few weeks, I have felt the love of the Lord buoy me up. I have had my moments where I've felt incredibly lonely and sad, but Heavenly Father has always sent someone to me during those times. And through prayer and priesthood blessings from Robert, I have been assured that we will have another chance at having children. We never know why we have to go through trials, but perhaps I needed to go through this to be reminded that I am not in charge. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and knows what is best for us. I don't need to know why, I just need to know that everything will be OK.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I Like Turtles, Part Dos
A few weeks ago, I was washing my face before bed, and had the black raccoon eyes from mascara and white skin because of what I was washing my face with. I turned to Rob and said, "I like turtles," thinking it was the funniest, most clever thing I've ever said in my whole life. He just stared at me. He didn't think it was funny. If you don't know about "I like turtles," you can see it here.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Go Comets!
I just saw online that Newsweek has just published its list of the top 1500 High Schools in the U.S. and the high school I went to is in that list. Those 1500 schools make up the top 6% of high schools in the U.S. Way to go, Westchester! I must say that I am proud to have been a student there and have always felt that the education I received was top-notch. And now Newsweek gives some credence to my feelings. All things considered, a lot goes into the quality of education that children receive - parent involvement, quality of teachers and curriculum, school safety, extra-curricular activities, etc. I would have to say that Westchester High has always been great in all of those categories. Perhaps I am such a proponent of public education because I had such a great experience, but that could be a whole other blog post!
Friday, June 5, 2009
TMI Pharmacist and Other Friday Updates
I have had severe bloggers block lately. Hopefully it'll pass. Until then, I wanted to give you an update on the TMI Pharmacist at the Walgreens.
Last week, someone I know was severely constipated (it wasn't me) and needed a little help to ease the discomfort. The doctor prescribed something wicked, with the caveat that it should be remembered while in the throes of diarrhea that he is our "friend." I went to the Walgreens looking for this stuff called magnesium citrate, and I hear a voice yell at me from behind the pharmacy counter "do you need help finding anything?" I started walking toward the counter and said "yes, I need something called magnesium citrate." It was the TMI Pharmacist! As he was walking down the aisle to meet me, he yells at the top of his lungs "Ooooohhhhh, I feel sorry for whoever has to use this stuff. Have fun in the bathroom tonight!" I noticed some people were staring at us. Then, in what seemed to be an equally loud voice, he says "is this for a procedure, like a colonoscopy? Because you can only use the lemon kind for that. The colon has to be clear, if you know what I mean." I told him it was just for constipation relief, but not my constipaion relief, so I wasn't too worried about the color, if you know what I mean. After he helped me with the magnesium citrate, he asked if I needed help finding anything else, and I told him I needed Miralax, too. "Oh, double whammy, ouch!" was his reply. So much for discretion. As my mom would say, "his mother must be so proud."
If you work for, or are affiliated with the ASPCA or PETA, please stop reading now!
I locked Kaydee the cat in the bedroom closet for over 12 hours. Not on purpose, and I feel really bad about it. Mostly I just feel bad because even though I don't like Kaydee, I'm not cruel to animals. I'm just not like that. Kaydee likes to be in the closet to sit on top of our nice, clean and fluffy towels, so we keep the closet door closed. Mostly because I don't ever want to find a cat hair in my belly button again. That's what happens when a cat lounges on your towels. Anyway, yesterday morning I opened up the closet just long enough to grab a shirt and some pants to wear. I immediately shut the door and then left for work. I didn't come home that night until almost 8, and then it was after 9 when I decided to change into my pajamas. I opened the closet door and saw these yellow, beady eyes staring at me from the the towels on the shelf and almost had a heart attack. I think she alsmost had a heart attack, too, because she fell off of the towels onto a plastic bag. Luckily, she didn't leave any surprises other than a nice coating of cat hair on our towels. Rob says that it serves her right and that maybe she won't go in the closet anymore.
I didn't see her this morning when I was getting ready, and I didn't want to have a repeat of yesterday, so I searched the house high and low to find her before I left for work. I couldn't find her, so I just went to work and figured it would work out in the end. Turns out she was hiding under the bed. I should have known, because the other night I was laying in bed and reached underneath for something and touched her cold, wet nose, and almost fell out of the bed because it scared me so much. My nerves can't handle it.
In other news, the texturizing and some of the painting is finished. The stove and fridge are no longer taking residence in other rooms of the house. Hopefully we'll have the mantle finished this weekend and maybe we'll get some of the wiring done. One step at a time.
Last week, someone I know was severely constipated (it wasn't me) and needed a little help to ease the discomfort. The doctor prescribed something wicked, with the caveat that it should be remembered while in the throes of diarrhea that he is our "friend." I went to the Walgreens looking for this stuff called magnesium citrate, and I hear a voice yell at me from behind the pharmacy counter "do you need help finding anything?" I started walking toward the counter and said "yes, I need something called magnesium citrate." It was the TMI Pharmacist! As he was walking down the aisle to meet me, he yells at the top of his lungs "Ooooohhhhh, I feel sorry for whoever has to use this stuff. Have fun in the bathroom tonight!" I noticed some people were staring at us. Then, in what seemed to be an equally loud voice, he says "is this for a procedure, like a colonoscopy? Because you can only use the lemon kind for that. The colon has to be clear, if you know what I mean." I told him it was just for constipation relief, but not my constipaion relief, so I wasn't too worried about the color, if you know what I mean. After he helped me with the magnesium citrate, he asked if I needed help finding anything else, and I told him I needed Miralax, too. "Oh, double whammy, ouch!" was his reply. So much for discretion. As my mom would say, "his mother must be so proud."
If you work for, or are affiliated with the ASPCA or PETA, please stop reading now!
I locked Kaydee the cat in the bedroom closet for over 12 hours. Not on purpose, and I feel really bad about it. Mostly I just feel bad because even though I don't like Kaydee, I'm not cruel to animals. I'm just not like that. Kaydee likes to be in the closet to sit on top of our nice, clean and fluffy towels, so we keep the closet door closed. Mostly because I don't ever want to find a cat hair in my belly button again. That's what happens when a cat lounges on your towels. Anyway, yesterday morning I opened up the closet just long enough to grab a shirt and some pants to wear. I immediately shut the door and then left for work. I didn't come home that night until almost 8, and then it was after 9 when I decided to change into my pajamas. I opened the closet door and saw these yellow, beady eyes staring at me from the the towels on the shelf and almost had a heart attack. I think she alsmost had a heart attack, too, because she fell off of the towels onto a plastic bag. Luckily, she didn't leave any surprises other than a nice coating of cat hair on our towels. Rob says that it serves her right and that maybe she won't go in the closet anymore.
I didn't see her this morning when I was getting ready, and I didn't want to have a repeat of yesterday, so I searched the house high and low to find her before I left for work. I couldn't find her, so I just went to work and figured it would work out in the end. Turns out she was hiding under the bed. I should have known, because the other night I was laying in bed and reached underneath for something and touched her cold, wet nose, and almost fell out of the bed because it scared me so much. My nerves can't handle it.
In other news, the texturizing and some of the painting is finished. The stove and fridge are no longer taking residence in other rooms of the house. Hopefully we'll have the mantle finished this weekend and maybe we'll get some of the wiring done. One step at a time.
Monday, June 1, 2009
An All New Low
For some reason I've been watching TV a lot more than normal. I noticed last week when I was watching Cash Cab that the guys from The Deadliest Catch were contestants. I thought it was so neat. And then I saw a commercial for just about the coolest thing ever. Will Ferrell was going to be a guest on Man vs. Wild. What has my life come to that I'm planning my schedule around what is coming up on TV?
And then on Saturday I spent all day watching the National Spelling Bee. How do they come up with these words? And why are these kids so obsessed with spelling? Anyway, those are just my two cents on that.
But here's my all new low... I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here! Did I really just watch that for an hour? I need a hobby!
And then on Saturday I spent all day watching the National Spelling Bee. How do they come up with these words? And why are these kids so obsessed with spelling? Anyway, those are just my two cents on that.
But here's my all new low... I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here! Did I really just watch that for an hour? I need a hobby!
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