I know I should be grateful and I really am, honest!

Yesterday was a very busy day, well at least for me it was in comparison to a typical day with me.  I got up just as early as I normally do - 4am or there about.  I get up that early because I just get sick and tired of waking up every 2 hours and after waking at 12am, 2am, and then 4am I just say "F" it and get up and stay up.  No matter what I do, whither I nap or not I can only sleep in general for 2 hrs at a time.

Well I got up and did my usual - smoke, potty, make coffee, wash up the dishes.  I have to do it in steps and have to take a break between making coffee and washing up the dishes.  I can't stand most times for any longer than 10 minutes without my back going into spasms.   It really bites!  

Well yesterday I had my 6 month check up with the neurosurgeon for my back.  He tells me that the x-rays look good and that it appears that every thing is healing very well.  He's happy with my progress and I am too.  Before the surgery I couldn't really stand at all nor could I walk unassisted. I used a walker or a cane to get around.  I had my husband buy me a special chair that will help lift me out of it.  You know it raises you up so it's easier to get in and out of the chair.  That chair is wonderful!  It really helped me a lot when I needed it.

Any way - so things have improved.  I no longer need the cane or the walker and I don't fall down all the time from my legs giving out from under me.  But I really hate it that I can't stand up for longer without being in agony.  But the surgeon tells me that, that is to be expected and that there is really no way, not in my case that I would ever get much better than I am now.  That it's nothing short of  miracle that I am up and walking like I am.

So as I said I am grateful for every thing but just had hoped and prayed for more.  I'll never be able to keep a job unless I can sit for most of the day and even that bothers me after an hour or so and I have to go lay down often through out the day.  I have so much guilt about not being able to work.   It has become apparent to me that I really should try to get disability of some sort.  My Fibromyalgia really keeps me from doing a lot but I have pushed past it in the past but now with my back problems and the FM there is no way on God's green Earth that I will ever be able to hold down a job.

I have to find a local Doctor that is willing to work with me on this.  I am the wife of a retired Marine.  All my medical is provided by the government so of course none of them are willing to help me out.  Plus, every couple of years or less the provider is transferred and I have to start all over again with someone else.  Not good when you're trying to work up a history and gain support of a doc to fight the government to get my disability.  Since they're of the same grouping that puts another block on getting the support I need.  I need them to refer me out to someone who specializes in FM and stay with them and get them to help me work out the papers and letters so that SSD will approve me.

So going to the doc's yesterday and I also had to get new photos taken of me.  I doubt I'll get to use my passport any time soon but I want to keep it up to date.  Needed new head shots for that.  Then my military ID would have expired next week so I had to get it renewed.  I didn't realize that they've changed the way they handle Drivers Licence's renewals here in NC.  But it seems I need to go there in advance and have the eye test and the photo taken and then they mail me my new licence.  Nor did I know that the renewal had come in the mail already.  My husband forgot to tell me.  So hell, I could have had that taken care of yesterday also but now I have to go out again to have that done.    Might be next week since I have an appointment with my primary care (quasi doctor I see on base) to get some of my meds renewed.  You see some of the drugs I take to help me are also poisoning my system.  I just had my last tests done in May but for some reason she wants to me to come in again... has me a bit worried there.  If the tests came back with good news they wouldn't want me to come in just to tell met that.  With my luck my liver is starting to show signs of trouble from the meds.  It never fails - the things they give you to help you feel better, tend to make you worse in the long run.

Now for some odd reason I started to get a sore throat yesterday.  The day before it felt like it was swollen a bit.  It really hurts to swallow so I haven't been eating many solids.  Starting taking some NyQuil Cold/Flu for the day and night.  I hope what ever is trying to take over is whipped out of my system soon.  I pick up illness like a hooker gets business on the corner.  All I have to do is get close to it and bam, I'm sick!  I take so many extra supplements, vitamins, and minerals and garlic, soy, omega crap - you'd think that would prevent my body from being attacked all the damn time.  But no!  Never that lucky.  If there is a cold within 20 miles of me, I'll pick it up and suffer through it. 

Just another dreary day in the life of KathyG.  I'm really tired and worn and must close this out.  I hadn't written in a few days so I thought I should do something on this.  Well off I go. Going to have a nap and then get back to my SPP friends.  Those people there are some of the best! I love them dearly and have to try to do something in return for all they do for me.

U.S. Daylight Savings Time in 2010: Clock Changes - When to Spring Forward and Fall Back

U.S. Daylight Savings Time in 2010: Clock Changes - When to Spring Forward and Fall Back
By Jenny Evans 5 Dec 2009

Excerpt of Article:

Daylight Saving Time Dates
Under the new law, daylight saving time beginning and ending dates in the United States are:

•2010: March 14 and November 7
•2011: March 13 and November 6
•2012: March 11 and November 4
•2013: March 10 and November 3
•2014: March 9 and November 2
•2015: March 8 and November 1

Win a PureZone HEPA Sleep System from Pretty Pink Momma

I entered to win a PureZone HEPA Sleep System from Pretty Pink Momma - you can too! Giveaway ends 10/10/2010 http://is.gd/f26tM

sweepbee@ec.rr.com

My Review of Ribbed V-neck plus size lounger by Comfort Choice®

Originally submitted at OneStopPlus

Relax in style with the comfort of our best-selling ribbed lounger.

• Roomy V-neck.
• Ribbed V-neck plus size lounger by Comfort Choice®

So very comfortable!

By KathyG_NC from Newport, NC on 9/5/2010

5out of 5

Waist: Feels true to size
Length: Feels true to length
Pros: Soft, Comfortable
Cons: Tends to pill, Large Tags
Best Uses: Lounging, Sleeping, Anytime at UR home
Describe Yourself: Casual Dresser

I have been buying and wearing this product for years! The older style didn't have a seam up the back, for some reason they changed that and now there is. They really need to go back to the old style, that seam isn't very comfortable up ones backside. They also need to remove or at least reduce the size of the tags. They are huge and itchy. They'd be better also if they had two pockets instead of the one.

All that said, these wear well and it took years before they really started to pill much. Even then they stayed soft and comfortable. I spend most of my life inside and in bed due to Chronic Pain and just couldn't live without these! I recommend that you wash them on delicate or hand wash cycle so they will last longer and not pill quite so soon.

I really hope Customer Service pays attention to these comments and will retool the design - remove that seam, remove the tags, and add a pocket. Then these would be a 10 star on any one's list!

(legalese)

Goodbye Earl! Next time don't stay so long and leave your friends behind!

It's now Friday Sept 3rd and Earl, Hurricane Earl that is, has moved away.  We were a bit worried when they upgraded the category to a 4 - that's a really bad assed storm! I had the phone numbers of hotels in the RDU area on hand just in case we headed out.

 Wonderful relief that by 2am this morning, it was down to a category 2!  That's nothing to worry about.  Flooding is more of a concern at that level for us.  We've lived here around 30 yrs, most of our lives have been spent here - this is home, northerners by birth - southerners by choice.  Damn Yankees as they once called us when we first got here.  You see there are Yankees and Damn Yankees - Yankees are northerners that come down here to visit then leave, Damn Yankees are northerners that come down here and stay! But our voices and behaviours have changed enough in 30 yrs that we're taken for locals now and that's how I've felt in my heart since I got here. Only change I'd make and we'll make that change in the future is we want to move off the coast and up into the mountains once JP retires from his current job.  So, after all that time we know what to do and when to worry.

Always stay prepared from June to November down here - that's hurricane season.  Yup unlike other folks who have 4 seasons, we have 5.  But I do love North Carolina and would never ever even consider living in the north again.  Being a part of the south is in my bones and my heart! God Bless the South!!


Thank God JP had retired from USMC and gets a nice retirement check and he works on base and makes good money otherwise we'd be in the streets - well I would... He's a wonderful man - always helpful and kind - never argues or fights with me.  I believe we've only  had 1 argument since we married - I can't remember any before we got married either so we've a good track record.  As I said, we're each others halves we fit together perfectly.

It was nice having JP home yesterday - the base decided not to risk things and gave them all the day off with pay of course.  Civil Service has it's benefits.  = )  But he's back to work today - at least it's a long holiday weekend so we'll get three whole days together!!  Normally he only has one day off each week, Sunday. Thank goodness they have a think against working overtime on a Sunday or we'd not get to spend much time together.  In a way it works out well that I don't work outside the home - we get to spend all his at home time together.   We're pretty much joined at the hip.  Seeing as we'll both turn 50 this winter we need to be joined just to hold each other up!  LOLJP and I have lived in the area since 1980, well I have since that's when the Navy stationed me here.  But JP was stationed here in 1978 I believe.  Me in Aviation, I was an Aviation Storekeeper something that the Navy has done away with and JP is composite/metal repair on Harriers back then.  It was only a matter of time before we'd finally meet.  Then Dec 22 1984 some mutual friends invited us both over to visit and play cards.  From there it's history - we were engaged Feb 14, 1985 and married Aug 30, 1985 at 8:30pm.  Easy to remember the time since it matched the date.  We still joke about that to this day.

So anyone with a calendar can tell that we just celebrated our Silver (25th) Wedding Anniversary!!  I'm very lucky to have him in my life.  Through all the years he's the only man I can really trust!  Every other one I met betrayed me in some way, shape or form.  But in all theses years JP has never lied to me or been unfaithful or been the type that who'd rather spend time away from me than with me.  He's my other half!  There was a time things got rocky for us and we did separate for a few years but even separated we talked everyday and saw each other often - even dated each other.  = )  It didn't take me too long to realize that no matter the problem we had we were much better together than apart.  I regret the changes all that made to our lives - apart my health got worse and we had to sell our beautiful big house and well lets just say our lives went to hell in a hand basket! Now with me out of work because of my health and unable to get a steady doctor to help me and support my claim for disability I bring no money home.