Just Us: May 2016

Friday, May 20, 2016

C is For....

I am having my colonoscopy on Monday at 12:30. It has been a long and annoying road to get to this point. This will be the fourth time the procedure has been scheduled and the bills from the hospital and doctors keep pouring in. Although, I found out a few days ago that the doctor who saw me in the Emergency Room isn't charging me. It is apparently part of his practice not to charge employees of the hospital for his services, so for that, I am extremely grateful.

I met with the Surgery nurse yesterday and she told me what to expect. The colonoscopy could take anywhere from 45 minutes to and hour and a half depending on what they find. If it is just a routine colonoscopy, I will be in and out in about an hour. They are looking for a hole in my intestines that may be leaking bacteria into my system. If they find one, depending on the size, I will have surgery right there to close it up. If it is too large, I will be scheduled for surgery in the not too distant future (oh boy, more dealing with the insurance company!!)

If they find nothing, I will be monitored for pain and bacterial mass indicators in my body on a routine basis to try and pinpoint the problem. If they find anything suspicious, (like cancer planting its flag with ugly little bumps) it will be sent to the lab for biopsy. If all else fails, I will have exploratory surgery to determine how bacteria is leaking into my system., why and what long or short term damage has been done.

I am not sure of the outcome of Monday, but I am glad to have it behind me.

So, Monday, C is for:

Colonoscopy

Cancer

But most of all, closure

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Our Busy Times.....

Did you ever have times in your life when it seemed like one day ran right into the next one? Like there was no space or time between the passing of night and day, week to week or season to season? That's how I have felt of late.

I know most of it has to do with my medical stuff and then, there's work, which has been super busy with some of the most crazy people I have ever met. There are days when I look around to see if someone is "goofing" on me when some of North Carolina's "best" come in for treatment. The shifts have been long--I've been staying more than an hour after my shift time on some nights due to the volume. The veteran staff members shake their heads and say, "and it's not even summertime when the real crazies come in." Makes you wonder.

We have had an increase in fish hooks in fingers, jelly fish bites, falls off of boats onto the pier (yes, alcohol was involved) and a case of sun stroke or two.

But, you can see North Carolina coming into its own. Our yard is full of color, the trees are filling out, the sky is a dark and beautiful blue and there are birds everywhere. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mocking Birds, Kill Deer and Hawks that circle endlessly in the sky. It's peaceful and quiet when I leave the hospital. The air is fresh and sometimes the moon is just huge in the sky. And, no matter what month it is, you can be 99% sure that it won't snow.

I have gotten a lot of prayers, good wishes, emails, texts, cards and flowers from people regarding my health. It is so nice to be thought of and to know that you mean something, no matter how small, to these people. I hope they know how much I appreciate their efforts.

And Mother's Day was nice for me. David came up from Florida and we went to lunch. I got cards and artwork from the Cleveland grand-babies and cards and pictures from Tony, Marie, Coleton and Anthony. David shared one of our "Lanai picnics" and walked around the pool with Tony. They really want to play the Compass Pointe Golf course with Tony Jr. when it opens.

I had a great time with David talking about the upcoming wedding. Brenda sent me photos of dresses she was trying on and it felt like I was right there with her. She looked great in all of them, but I especially love the one she finally selected. October 21 can't come fast enough for me. We are hoping to get to Tampa before the wedding to meet Brenda's parents and check out places for the rehearsal dinner.

Tony and David played golf and cornhole and "the old guy" came out on top in every game! Looks like the Swegle Golf Trophy will be staying in Leland for awhile.

We celebrated our 27th anniversary on May 12. What a fun day we had. We went to Kure Beach (that's Cur-ree to you out of towners!) and walked by the ocean. We went to a place called "Big Daddy's" and sat outside and shared a glass of wine and an appetizer. We were going to play putt putt, but they don't open until after Memorial Day, so we headed for dinner at a new place that was so good we will visit again.

Today is laundry day for me and Tony is working on a new painting. I love these kinds of days. Getting things done at a slow pace and not feeling rushed. Tomorrow, back to work and busy, busy times.

Take a look at Swegle-life: