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We made our second trip to the Cleveland Clinic yesterday. It was a very long day. I was up at 4:30 AM and we were on the road by 6. Once we got on Interstate 71, the roads were clear the whole drive up.

We went to Neurology first. After checking in and completing an assessment we waited while people coming in after us were being called back. I went to the desk to find out what was going on and I apparently had the slow doctor. Imagine my surprise when the doctor comes to get us and she's almost 10 years younger than us! I had to tell my story for the millionth time and go through sensory tests including being hit with a rubber hammer, pricked with safety pins, and touched with tuning forks. The resident came back with her attending who did some more sensory tests. End result was they were having their radiologist review my films, they ordered blood tests, and sent me home with orders for a 2 hour glucose test to do at OSU. Jon was not happy; he wanted an EMG ordered that would have followed the nerve in question.

It was time for Women's Health / Breast Center. The grouch working the front desk balked at OSU's CD of images instead of us having actual films. Good news is that the people who actually review the stuff, found our CD acceptable. I was prepped to have another mammogram but ended up not having to have one since the CD showed what needed to be seen. I moved around to several waiting rooms and finally got to an exam room where Jon was finally able to come back and join me. The nurse and the physican's assistance each spent more time with me than the doctor. The conclusion was that the swelling of my left breast that has been a concern is very likely related to the intercostal nerve issue. If three months from now there is still an issue, I should come back.

Time for blood work. My left arm was not giving yesterday. My right arm finally gave blood but with a lot of coaxing and a special small needle.

Finally, time to go home! Traffic was slow until we got onto 271 then 71. There was the giant pothole on Carnegie street that could not entirely be avoided without hitting another car. Okay, so the van needs an alignment now. On 77, a piece of icy snow blew off the top of someone's car and smacked the windshield of the van. Thank goodness it was a solid hit and the worst thing the impact did was knock off Jon's radar detector and move his mirrors.

We stopped in Ashland and had dinner with my parents at Bob Evans. We were both starving. The peanut butter sandwiches with grapes at 3 PM weren't much after not having eaten all day long. I wish I could have seen my parents longer but I am grateful for the hour we had. Being at a restaurant I was using my "inside voice" so I'm not sure my Dad heard much of anything I said.

Last stop before home, the Bonacci's to pick up Jonnie. He was showing us puppets and pinball. He also got "Star Student" for the day.

Once home, I pretty much washed up and went to bed. I kept my promise to Jonnie by having him watch the Power Rangers on the bedroom TV although I went to sleep. It was time for me to add a second Lyrica pill to increase my dose to 100 mg. Woah....feeling a little weird today. I think part of it might be that I did not eat much yesterday.

My first Daybook attempt

My friend Sarah has been doing this cool thing called a Daybook for a while. Since I am home today resting from a trigger point procedure yesterday at the Cleveland Clinic (good bye pain!), I thought I might give it a go.

Outside my window: Snow and a dormant rose of Sharon bush.

Room to ramble: Probably won't ramble too much this week although it's exciting to be pain free. The two pain meds I have to take for the next 30 days make me really sleepy. I learned last night that I need to take them *after* I read.

Kitchen meanderings: It's a mess. Dirty dishes left from last week when we ran out the door for Cleveland. I plan to unload the dishwasher and Jon will hand wash the pesky pots & pans when he gets home.

Nose inserted: I read my Daily Bible from Guideposts while I was away. I tried to read last night but fell asleep thanks to the new meds. I bought several new books when we had time to go out last week on a short day of appointments. I started reading "Streetwise Spirituality" by Jim Thomas. It helps the reader understand the connection between faith in God and real life. So far I am enjoying it. I also have "Sola Scriptura" which I haven't read since Adoration on January 19th.

Folded Hands, Bowed Head: In thanksgiving for the great doctors at the Cleveland Clinic especially the two guys in pain management who found my inter-costal nerves and muscles seem to have been my problem. For their steady hands during the trigger point procedure. For great friends and family who have been with me all along.

In my Ears: I don't listen to music too much outside the car although we have plenty of CD players and MP3 players around the house. The only thing I hear right now are my fleecy Crocs clunking in the dryer. I could not get the liner out so I hand washed them in the sink. Trying to see if 20 minutes will help lessen the wetness so they can air dry the rest of the way.

Around the House: Waiting for the Best Buy guy to come and fix the family room TV. It has a red spot at the bottom of the screen. Midnight asleep in the other office chair. Tiger removed from a basket of clean clothes and placed on the bed. Piles of mail to get through.

A Favorite Thing: Being pain free is feeling really, really good!

For the Rest of the Week: Hoping the snow fizzles out and goes somewhere else. Taking Jonnie back over to Deacon Tony's on Thursday night so we can leave at 6 AM on Friday for more appointments at the Cleveland Clinic.

Worth a Thousand Words: Jon took some pictures of me at the Clinic yesterday when the one doctor commented that my left side of my face was swollen. He also took some pictures of me before my trigger point procedure wearing a lovely blue mesh cap to cover all of my hair. Our friend Kate told him that I looked "smashing" after he sent her the picture. The pictures are on Jon's phone which is on his belt holding up his jeans over at OSU.

Snowman

Jonnie wanted to build a snowman last week but the temperatures were too brutal. Today, we finally went out and did it. Mind you, I've never made a good snowman and it shows. A regular carrot instead of a baby one might have been nice, too!

Update on my considerations

Last week I posted about my 2009 considerations instead of resolutions. I thought I'd share my progress. It helps keep me accountable.

Exercising my Brain - I feel like the past week taxed my brain, at least at work. At home, I have done nightly reading except for Thursday when I was really sick. I also did several word searches last week doing most of them yesterday!

Exercising my Body - This hasn't happened since I posted about wanting to do it. I did not expect to have a painful flare up on Sunday into Monday that swelled me to the point where I could not wear my wedding rings or certain shoes. Once that calmed down, I had a 3-day headache that had me feeling feverish yet chilled.

Cooking more, Eating out Less - This has gone well. The last meal we had out as a family was for Jon's birthday the last week of December. Jon went out to lunch with a friend on Friday. I am slated to go out to lunch with a group from work while the sales engineer from Project.net is visiting us on Tuesday. Given that I only take a lunch break once every several months, I don't feel this is being too frivolous. The past week featured two nights where Jon cooked. He made grilled catfish on Friday and mini meatloaves on Saturday. Jonnie had been begging Jon to make his meatloaf.

Spending More Wisely - This ties in a little with making sure to eat at home instead of out and we're doing fairly well there. I have not made any purchases recently so I'm doing good. I have to go to the grocery store today but that is necessary spending as long as I work hard to stay with my list!

I could complain about my progress but I won't. Last week was brutal with deadlines and being double-whammied with sickness. The week ahead brings 4 presentations, training sessions where I support the teacher, meeting after meeting, homework deadlines for Jonnie. I'm grateful that we have Monday the 19th off from work so that I can focus on getting ready for my trip to Cleveland which I am looking forward to very, very much.

Considerations for 2009

I have refrained from using the term "resolutions" in hope of being more successful by calling these "considerations". Regardless of what I'm calling them, these are things I'm considering for 2009.

Exercising my Brain - I'd like to spend more time reading, doing puzzles (i.e. word seeks), and professional development exercises than sitting like a blob in front of a TV somewhere in our house. When you have 6 TVs in the house, it's hard to get away from the tube. I want to spend time in those quiet spots in my home where I can curl up with a good book. This will help me be a better person mentally and spiritually (given most of my reading is religious).

Exercising my Body - It's true, I've been in pain since mid-July and I used this as an excuse to do as little as possible. Okay, so the work restrictions after I had to move equipment out of an office were valid given that I had to move furniture. However, I took advantage of the situation. I am back to doing more chores around the house. I am also trying to do 20 minutes of daily exercise such as walking or using my gazelle.

Cooking more, eating out less - I started this consideration last month after I got my copy of "Saving Dinner" that my friend Sarah spoke of so highly on her blog and facebook page. Using the credit card to buy food for the frig, freezer, and pantry only go use that same credit card to take the family out to eat because I had no clue what to make for dinner not only increased my debt but helped to expand our waistlines. This is not to say that we'll never go to a restaurant again! Although some of my Chinese or Asian cooking at home tastes good, it can't replace the authentic flavors we get from Chen's here in Plain City.

Spending more wisely - We're all aware that the economy is in the toilet right now. I did manage to spend a little bit less on gifts for Christmas 2008 but my credit card is still feeling pain. I'm going to attempt to use cash more while I work to pay down my Discover and MasterCard. When possible, I am going to ask that my extensive co-pays be billed so I can work out a payment plan with OSU which they've been good about doing so far. Obviously, laying in the ER with chest pain and monitors hooked up to me was not a time when I thought of requesting a bill. Instead, my husband got into my purse and asked me which credit card to give the lady standing there with the bill.

I think these are enough considerations for now. I've often errored on making so many resolutions that I could not possibly focus or achieve them all. I'm hoping for 2009 that less is more.