think pink

You’re not sick of photographs of my peonies, are you? I just can’t help myself…they’re my all-time favorite flower and they bloom for such a short time…I always take tons of shots of them.

Plus, this soft pretty pink is also intended to remind you that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ladies, please, do those self-exams and get an annual mammogram if you’re over 40 (or over if you’re 35 and have a family history of breast cancer). My Mom had a blessedly minor incidence of breast cancer – she’s a great example of how early detection saves lives.

Oh, and if you want to go the extra mile, I highly recommend one of these campaigns – Save the Ta-tas and Save 2nd Base – they’re hilarious! And as we all know, every potentially terminal illness needs a little infusion of humor, right? Right.

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and we’re back

After a solid week of post-surgical recovery, an insane week of event prep at work, and almost a week of fighting a terrible cold, I think I am finally on the upswing! Thank you all so very much for your kind get well wishes — in person, here in this space, via email and elsewhere. It meant a lot to me to know my friends and family were thinking of me and sending strong, healthy thoughts in my direction. Now, thankfully, October is behind me and a new month is here — November, a new start. Woo, hoo!

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top ten tuesday: cold comforts

Things that help me feel better when I have a really bad cold, also known as right now:

10. Vitamin C and Zinc supplements

9.  Ice Cream — Nothing feels better on a sore throat than ice cream, am I right?

8.  Staying home from work — All I need to do now is convince HR to give me unlimited sick time…

7.  Garlic — It contains compounds that boost your immune system and help your body fight infections.

5.  Cold compress on my forehead

4.  Orange Juice

3.  Emergen-C

2.  Water and lots of it

1.  Pain Relievers, namely Excedrin® and Tylenol® — Whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend had obviously never experienced sinus pressure and migraines.  Bring on the drugs, I say!

Where is number six, you ask?  I don’t know.  I skipped it.  I’m sick — that’s my excuse.  I hope you’re not sick, but if you are maybe some of these things will help you feel better, too.

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she’s baaaaack

Ah, so happy to be back!  As you know, I had surgery on Monday.  They sent me home that afternoon (yay, no overnight!!) very sufficiently drugged up on morphine and other lovely narcotics.  I spent all day Tuesday in bed loaded up on oxycodone.  Yesterday was the first day I felt ready to be out of bed for any length of time.  Today I’ve mostly switched to ibuprofen and I actually feel well enough to do stuff!  …which is why I’m here!  Of course, I missed the regular writing I do here in this space, but more than that I missed the interaction it provides with you all, my lovely readers!  Thank you for hanging in there while I took a little (medically prescribed) drug-induced relaxation.

I want to take a quick minute to rave about the quality of care I received at Maine Medical Center.  From the admitting associate, the anesthesiologist and the nurse anesthetist to my surgeon and all the recovery nurses — I was very well taken care of.  Someone from the Ambulatory Surgery Unit even called me at home on Tuesday to see how I was doing.  Don’t get me wrong, surgery sucks — it was no fun — but if I had to have it again, I’d feel safe and comfortable having it at Maine Med.  They’re good.

And now I’m focused on being well enough to get out and about a bit this weekend.  I’m looking forward to enjoying everything the peak of fall has to offer:

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surgical notes

Surprise! I don’t usually post on Sunday nights, but here I am. Actually, I’m just posting a quickie to let you know (if you don’t already) that I’m scheduled for minor surgery first thing tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, it’s not cosmetic, I’m not coming home with a new nose. And it’s nothing too serious. But because I always try to be as honest as I can here, I will admit that I’m scared. Terrified, actually. I know everyone says this, but I really hate detest abhor despise loathe hospitals. In spite of that, I think I’m doing a pretty good job staying calm for the most part. Admittedly, I haven’t stopped thinking about the surgery for one stinkin’ second — the anesthesia, the oxygen tube, the cutting (gah!) — but I’m not freaking out. Yet. Anyway, please be patient with me as I take a brief blogging break. More than likely I’ll be able to come home in the afternoon, but there’s a small chance I’ll have to stay overnight in the hospital. Either way, I probably won’t be up to posting for a day or two. If you’re a praying type, please send up a few for me — I would really appreciate it. And I’ll be back here as soon as I can. Have a great week, friends!

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