Hi again

Well, I guess it has been awhile since I have posted anything, so I decided I will update on what has been going on. First of all, Cooper is fine. He hasn't had any problems from the menengitis as far as we can tell.
I went to Dr. Muckle finally at the end of Sept. Nothing really eventful there. I guess things are going well. I had the hearing tested and basically have no usable hearing on the left. We did discuss a BAHA (bone anchored hearing aid). He usually likes to wait a year, but since the hearing test came back the way it did, he thought we could possibly go ahead with it in Dec. The reason I am rushing this is that I have met my deductable for the year and insurance should cover it. Dr. Muckles assistant is supposed to be checking with my insurance to see if they will cover it. It is an outpatient procedure on installing this BAHA. I actually haven't researched it much, so will be doing that.
We are a little bit busy with extra-curricular activities. Connor is playing soccer and they are both in cub scouts. We keep pretty busy.
I guess that is all for now. Will try to better at posting...

Another Prayer Request

Hi, Tonight when I picked the boys up at their dads shop, I asked about one of Jerry, Coopers and Connors friend, Sammy. Well, Sammy is 10 or 11 years old. He has had some health issues the last couple of years. He had a brain surgery a year or so ago. The doctors know some about what is going on, but if there is a diagnosis, I don't know it as I don't know them that well. He went to Mayo in August I suppose. Last week they found out that his immune system is overworking and producing too many white blood cells. He is going to have treatment that will "kill?" his immune system. Therefore, he is going to have to quit school and be home schooled as he won't have the immunities to germs that most kids have. This is the saddest thing. Sammy is full of life as any 11 year old is and has had it rough. I just ask that anyone who has faith in the power of prayer, pray for Sammy's recovery. Every little bit helps!

What a week

Hi, Cooper is still sick. We finally were able to see the pediatrician this afternoon. He is leaning toward viral meningitis. Cooper shows the symptoms for sure. Cooper had a throat culture to rule out strep. We will be going back to the ped in the morning. He doesn't think he will need to do a spinal tap in the morning to test for it unless Cooper is doing a lot worse. Let's hope not. But, the doc thinks that he is on the downhill side anyway and that Coop should be over it in 7-10 days and we are already on day 7 or 8, so maybe by next week he will get to start school!
The other horrible thing about this week is that Susie passed away yesterday. She lost her battle with cancer. I am so sad for her family. Please pray for their comfort through this rough time.

School has begun!

It is early, but school started today. They had a short summer as they didn't get out until June 7th. But, we had a pretty good summer anyway. However, Cooper is missing his first day. He has been sick with a virus? since Thursday. He was in the emergency room yesterday, but they really didn't know what was wrong with him. He has a bad headache and neckache and some fever. His lymph nodes are really swollen, so I am sure that is the cause of the sore neck. I called his pediatrician and they are downloading his records from the hospital and are to call back. Poor kid had a blood draw, strep test and CT scan yesterday. I am betting that the Ped will send him for some more blood tests. We may be running all over town today. I am thankful that the CT didn't show anything bad... He has these headaches on occasion. Well, better go take care of Cooper.

12 Week Anniversary

Anniversary, isn't that something you celebrate? Well I didn't manage to celebrate, but I would say that I definitely have reason to. My surgery was 12 weeks ago. I didn't even realize it until this afternoon. I am feeling well. I do have some head pain, but it isn't too bad and manageable with over the counter meds. I am getting a massage tomorrow. My neck is so tight and knotty. My old masseuse left me. He moved out of state. He was awesome. He did give me references, so I am seeing someone he referred. I sure hope she is good. Carmen

School supplies

Hi, Tonight I took the boys to get their school supplies as school is going to start on the 20th. That is pretty early for us, but I guess it will be fine. Boy do they need alot of stuff... We went to Target. They have the whole back corner set up with school supplies. I was in the middle of it all and I hear my name. I look around one display and didn't see anyone looking at me, so I keep hearing my name and finally whip around and see a girlfriend from college. "oh sorry, I am deaf in one ear, so I couldn't tell where you were" DUHH It is kind of embarrassing, but I don't know what I can do about it. Just keep on adapting and figure out how to turn around and around.
My mom is coming this weekend. I don't know that we will do anything real exciting, except maybe go for a picnic or something. We have a state park just outside of town that used to be a gravel pit, that has a pond. The boys enjoy going there as the pond has minnow they can catch and corral. We may go out there. Natural bridge isn't too far either and mom hasn't ever been there. It is a mini oasis out in the middle of our arid climate. We'll see.
Work is going well. We are really busy. It is nice to have a lot going on as it makes the days go by quick.
I guess I will close for now and quit rambling. I hope everyone is doing great!
Love, C.

Balloon Fest

Hi,
This morning we got up early to go watch the balloon fest that went on here in Casper this weekend. They sure are gorgeous! We watched a few of them launch, then went driving around to watch them land. Today was a great day for it. Nice and cool, but they usually go to the east and this morning they went west. There was hardly any wind. It was cool.
The boys are enjoying their Summer Adventure Camp at school. They went to Tensleep on Wed. This week, they are staying in town to tour the local "attractions", such as the police station, Wyoming Machinery, grocery store?, etc. They should have fun again!
As far as my health, I am feeling well. I still have no hearing, but am still hopeful and will be calling to get a hearing test soon, just to check. I called Dr. Muckle's office and talked with his assistant about follow-up, etc. She was supposed to call back, but I haven't heard from her yet. I guess that I have gotten lost in the shuffle of his busy practice. Thank God that I am not having any issues that need attention!! I do get tired easier and need a little more sleep than before, but that should get better with time also. I am sure things are still healing in there!
Well, that's all for now! C.

Still here!

Hi, Well, I went back to work full time this week. It went pretty well. I have plenty of catching up to do, so there isn't a lack of work which is a good thing. For the most part, I feel well. The cold is finally coming to an end I hope!
My 20 year class reunion was last weekend. It was a blast. I missed my 10 year as that was when Cooper was born. So, I saw a lot of people that I hadn't seen in years. It was a good time.
This weekend, I am trying to catch up on some housework and laundry. I have been gone the last 2 weekends, so things have kind of piled up.
The boys are going to a Summer Adventure Camp that their school is sponsoring. They went to Alcova and Thermopolis last week and this week they get to go to Tensleep. It is a wonderful program. The kids are having a blast, learning a lot and not getting bored. Thanks Mills School, you are doing a great job!!
I guess that is about all of my news. Nothing too interesting.
Love, C.

July Already!

Hi, It has been awhile since I posted...

I can hardly believe that it is July!! I am trying to figure out where the time is going. I have come to the conclusion that my head was partially in la la land most of the month... Oh well, I guess that the first week or two I was in bed most of the time. And the rest, I hardly left the house due to recovery. Well, I feel pretty much back to normal. Someone was asking me today if I was 100% yet. I don't feel 100, but maybe at least 90%. I still get tired pretty easily. Oh, and I caught the cold during the camping trip. Sue and Steve both had it while we were camping.

Oh! The camping trip. We spent the 2nd through the 7th in the Big Horn Mountains camping. It was a great time. The boys had a blast. They caught quite a few fish and just had fun getting dirty and playing in the fire. We came to the conclusion that the fire bug is hereditary. My mom was up one night and she said that she loves playing in the fire as do I!! I guess my boys get it from me... I tested my stamina a little bit. On Saturday, we hiked up to the Medicine Wheel. It was 3 miles roundtrip and I handled it pretty well, as did the boys and Sue!

I worked a full day today. I am feeling well. I am tired, but that is from the camping trip, the cold and just trying to catch up on my sleep. One problem with this cold is that when I cough or sneeze, it makes my head hurt. In the shower this AM, I coughed hard and it really made the head hurt from the surgery. I had to lay down once I got out, but took some Aleve and got on with my day and it wasn't bad. But, I know it could be a lot worse, so I thank God every day that things turned out so well!!

Tomorrow is Parade Day here, so I am going to take the boys to the parade. That should be a hoot. They love that kind of thing.

Well, sorry it was so long since the last post. I will try to do better. I guess that I don't even know if anyone is reading this anymore. If you want me to keep going, let me know...

Work, Medicine

Hi, Well, I have been back to work part time this week. It is amazing how draining it can be, even though I am not super busy yet. July will be a little more challenging I am sure, as I have a lot of reporting to do. We also have some permits to get out next week. I worked part of Wednesday and Thursday and will put in a few hours tomorrow also. It has been on my mind all week to call the doc, but I haven't gotten that done. I will be sure to get him called tomorrow.

The Explanation of Benefits from the insurance are coming through regularly. My insurance is picking up pretty well. What a relief that is. Most of the providers in Denver are so called "Preferred Providers", so there haven't been any charges above the "reasonable and customary" that the insurance won't pay. Thank GOD!!!

I have had a wake up call to MEDICINE this past year. My best friends sister has cancer. She has been fighting since last September. She is doing okay to date. The experience she is going through and my experience is what has amazed me. I guess that I had always thought that the doctors were like "all knowing" and could take care of things. In my case, that is what has happened, but in Susie's case, that doesn't seem to be. They just can't say what is going on... We want answers, we want test results, we want to just know. Unfortunately that is not always the case. I don't know why I decided to go into this now... BUT, for all of you who know the power of prayer, please pray for Susie and for the Lord to cure her.

C.

Swimming and DQ

Hi, I took the boys swimming today at Mike Sedar pool, which isn't too far from our house. The boys had a blast. It was fun for me, except my head was achin' a little bit. I thought it was the sun, but now realize that I hadn't eaten anything yet. It was 1 when we went. We all got a little sunburn, but not too bad. Well, after the swimming was done, we had to go to the Dairy Queen for the ice cream. YUM!

I had intentions of calling the doctor today, to get clearance to go back to work, but didn't get that done. I will tomorrow. I am going to work a few hours on Wednesday and Thursday. I don't think I will work next week as it is the 4th and Cooper's birthday is that day and we will be making our annual camping trip to the Big Horn Mountains. It will be nice! The following week, I am planning on going to work for probably half days and then by the middle of July go back full time. We'll see how I am feeling and what the doc says!

I started writing this a while ago, so better wrap it up. It was a big day and I am exhausted. I am going to bed!
Carmen

4 Weeks

Well, it's been 4 weeks since the surgery. I am amazed at how well the recovery process has been coming along. I started driving on Sunday. Not quite a month, but close. I think I am doing pretty well with it.

CNFR - the University of Wyoming women won! Way to go WYO!

Now I am trying to figure out when to go back to work. I haven't talked to any doctors or anything about my recovery, etc, except when I had my stitches out and not much was said there. I am going to call Dr. Muckle's office tomorrow and see what he has to say. I guess I should get a doctors release to go back to work...

Sue and Junior (her dog) went home today. Since the boys are at their dad's, I am going to try to get some organizing done. Hope that goes well. I have a lot of clutter to go through. Sue and I started on the boys room and dresser yesterday. That was a good start at least.

Well, I guess that is all for the moment... C.

CNFR

College National Finals Rodeo
I forgot to tell you that the women at the University of Wyoming are in first place. They are ahead of Sam Houston State University by 165 points. GO WYO!!

UW 405
Sam Houston State 240

Here is the link:

http://www.cnfr.com

??

Hi, I can't think of a title for this post... Well, anyway, things are going well for me. I am feeling good. I actually did have a big week considering that I had neurosurgery just over 3 weeks ago!

I went in to work on Wed for about 2 hours and went back on Thursday for about an hour. I had just a couple of things that needed to be handled, that I thought only I could do... I am sure someone else could have handled it, but it was just easier for me to take care of it. And, it was nice to get out and see people. I do get cabin fever pretty easily. I am just so used to being on the go.

Well, if that wasn't enough, I decided that the boys really needed to go to the College National Finals Rodeo that is here this week. Yes, Casper is the host! So, we packed up and went last night. It is a good show, that is for sure. The action never stops and it only lasted 2 hours. What was interesting was the noise and starting to adapt to the single sided hearing. (yes hearing, not deafness, like is the glass half empty or half full) Anyway, I was a little nervous about all of the stimulation and what not, but it wasn't too bad. We probably should have sat on the other end as I think all of the speakers were in the middle and the deaf ear was toward them, not the hearing ear. So, next time I go to the Events Center, I will be sure to get tickets accordingly! It was kind of hard to understand the announcer, but Sue said she couldn't understand either with 2 good ears, so it wasn't just me.

Well, that's about all going on here for the moment.
C.

3 Weeks

Hi, Well, it has been 3 weeks since the surgery! I am feeling good. Actually, I am amazed at how well the recovery is coming. I am not having the balance issues that were anticipated. I am very thankful for that! I am getting around pretty easily.
The hearing is still not there. The main issue I am having with this is that I can not tell which direction sound is coming from.
I haven't driven yet, except to back out of the garage. That was okay. I am ready to attempt it I think. We'll see if Sue will let me. Also, Jerry said to not do it with the kids in the car, LOL.
Cooper did go to Jackson with his dad. Connor stayed here with me. They are both here with me now. School got out last week. It is very unusual being home all day with the boys. They are already bored. I guess we need to start going on some short outings. I walked with Connor over to the skate park on Saturday. I didn't walk home though.
Take care! C.

Update

Hi everyone, today was not a good day, but now I am feeling better. I had a pretty good headache this morning. Hopefully not a regular thing. This evening, my neck is pretty sore and achey.

Yesterday was a pretty big day. In the morning, we went to Connor's Kindergarten graduation. It was fun. The afternoon, I went to Dr. Podrazik the local ENT and had my stitches removed. He said they should have come out a little sooner as it was pretty red, but his offices were closed so they could move. No big deal, it pulled and hurt a little on a couple of them, but not bad. Cooper had counted them last weekend and there were 16 if I remember right. Now, the incision site is really itchy. I guess that means it is healing.

Well, I have no hearing on the left. This could be permanent, but the docs say to give it a year before we really know. I think they wanted me to get a hearing test at 6 weeks. I am keeping some hope as the surgeons said the hearing nerve is in tact, and has a blood supply even though the tumor had stretched it. At this point, I am sure it is still swollen in there and will take some time for that to go down. The tinitus is load and clear. I don't know that it will ever go away, but I will eventually get more used to it. If the hearing does not return, there are a couple of options for hearing aids. I will wait before I worry about that though.

Tomorrow is two weeks since surgery!

June 1st

Hi there, Sorry that it has taken all week for an update. Not much is really going on. I feel pretty good. I am not having a lot of pain or anything. I have just been sleeping an awful lot. I guess that is what the recovery process takes. I couldn't sleep at all last night though. I finally got to sleep about 5 this morning. The boys were here last night, so Sue got them up and off to school and I slept until about 11:30. Not much else happened today.

Sue picked up the boys from school today too and they are going to stay all weekend. I also got some meals ordered from My 2nd Kitchen. They are going to deliver them. Thanks to everyone for that. It will definitely be a help to just throw something in the oven.

Well, I guess I will see how I make it through the weekend with the boys being home. Should be fine.

Everyone have a good weekend! C.

Memorial Day - 1st day home

Hi, Well, things are going pretty well today. Mostly just slept. I stopped taking some of the meds, which I think was a mistake. I woke up this morning feeling awful. Well, I have been back on them and it seems to be a little better now. I think the more I stay up with them, the better I will feel.

Jerry brought Cooper and Connor by. That was so great! I miss them so much and I think Cooper was pretty worried about his momma. Hopefully they are feeling better about things too. They were in good spirits. They are going to stay with Jerry for a while, but maybe come by after school a couple of nights this week. They are going to a Rod Run in Lander this weekend and Jackson the following weekend, so I am sure they will really enjoy that!

Well, that's about all for now...
Carmen

Coming Home today!!

Here is a picture of the incision. Hope it doesn't gross anyone out. Pretty long.
The doc was just in and said there was no reason to stay here. The neurosurgeun had wanted to see me on Tue in his office, but Dr. Feese, who is Dr. Muckles partner said that wasn't necessary! That is good.

I took some sleeping pills last night, I woke up not feeling so great. I did sleep good, but woke up grogy and hangovery. I am sure it is going to be a long tough day getting home, but will be glad once I am there. I will probably post about the journey tonight or in the morning. That all depends on how it goes with the 5 hour drive....
Carmen

by the way, I hate liver and onions!

Carmen Here on SAT AM

Well, here I am, another day. I am not feeling too bad. The neck is sore by the incision. I just took some Valium for that. For pain, they finally got me on some Vicadin (SP?) It doesn't give me the itches, which is a relief.
The Physical Therapist was here first thing this morning and showed me some balance exorcises. I think it would have been better had I had some anti-nausea meds, but I got them afterwords. Also, the doc was in and took the dressing off of the incision. That is kind of a relief as it was squishing my ears. He said it is about 4-5" long.
He said that I will probably be getting out tomorrow or Monday. The neurosurgeon wants to see me in his office on Tuesday. They are both out of town for the weekend (the neuro and the oto). Therefore, I will be coming home on Tuesday sometime. Hopefully not too late. I am ready to sleep in my new bed again!
As Dave and KEvin mentioned in their posts, I set up an account at My 2nd Kitchen. They prepare meals and deliver them. If you want to do something for me, one thing you can do is make a small donation to the account. I will order some meals once I get home.
I am going to sign off for now. Wearing me out. I will try to post this evening or in the morning.
Carmen

Friday- Recovery begins

It's lunch time here & Carm is attempting to get hospital food down, still not much of an appetite but she is making a good effort. Still haven't found pain med of choice- Percocet is causing itching- so there is a call out to Dr. for something different.... until then she is still receiving morphine. Last night she walked to the nurses station & back- then got nauseated. Well, it looks like she's getting into the napping position so we'll clear out for now & sign off. Thanks again for all your thought & prayers. Love You, Juli

Hi, it's Carmen

Well, I am in my own room on the neurology unit. I don't think this post is going to be long, as it is a little hard to look at the monitor without gettting woozy. Thank you all for the thoughts an prayer that you have been sending my way.. They have definetly helped. I am going to sign off for now, since it is making me woozy. I will try to post again tommorrow.
Carmen

Carmen is doing GREAT!!!

Carmen is still in the ICU today, but the plan is to move up to her own room later this afternoon. She is hearing pretty good? out of her left ear and has very little dizziness. She has been awake and talking, but is pretty tired. She also has a very sore neck. I'll write more later.

Sue

A Little More News

I just came back from visiting Carmen in recovery. She will hopefully be moved into ICU within the hour. She definitely has full use of her facial muscles -- she can open and close both eyes and she sipped water from a straw. She's in a lot of pain, to be expected of course and she also thinks she can hear from the right side. We have lots of hope. We are allowed to see her for 1-2 minutes, one at a time, about 45 minutes apart. We'll keep you all posted. Mimi

Still Waiting

Carmen is still in recovery.... 4 hours now....She is okay (bad headache though), with a bed in ICU just now becoming available. We are limited to visiting her because of the headache and the need to keep the amount of stimulation to a minimum. It's been a long day, truly a very long day.... so we'll continue with the updates in the morning. Thanks & take care, Juli & Sue

Recovery

Carm is starting to come out of the anesthesia, woke for a little while @ 3:15 & drifted back into lala land. When out of recovery (2 hrs now) she'll be transfered to ICU. We thank you all for all your kindness, thoughts & prayers. We'll post again after transfer & we have a better idea of how she's feeling (headachy I'm sure-:). Thanks again! Juli & Sue

Good News

The surgeons just came in to see us and Carmen is doing fine and is in recovery. Here's what we know: Her facial nerve is intact and is conducting electrical impulses but it will be a day or two before we know if there is any paralysis so keep the prayers coming for that. Her auditory nerve was stretched very thin and the doctors were surprised that she had the hearing she did (prior to surgery). There is a blood supply to the nerve but it'll be a day or two before we know whether or not there is hearing loss. Keep praying about that! She will be moved into ICU in a couple of hours and will be there 2 days. The surgeons were able to remove the entire tumor, praise God so it is looking good! I'll be in touch as soon as we know more. Mimi

update Carmen's surgery

Hello everyone: The surgical nurse just called and said they were getting ready to close the incision. The doctors will come talk to us in about an hour but as of now, Carmen is doing well. I'll update as soon as we talk with the doctors. Thanks for your prayers, love and concern. Mimi

Carmen in surgery

Hi Everyone: This is Mimi Roller, Carmen's stepmother. She checked into the hospital this morning at 6 a.m. and immediately waited 2 hours. She was taken into surgery at 8 a.m. and at 9:30 a.m. the nurse called and said they just made the incision. She said it was taking time to get her properly positioned and all the equipment in the right place. She is doing fine so far and I will post again when we get the next update. Thanks for all your prayers and concern. Please keep them coming. Mimi

It's Time

I am leaving for the hospital now. My only complaint is that I am thirsty. Nothing after 3:30 this morning. I will be fine though. Oh, a little bit of a sore throat, but nothing major.

One item of interest is that it is not 12 days to wash the hair, only 2!! Great news.

Yesterday was full of appts all afternoon.

Sue and Juli will be posting today hopefully.

Thanks for all of the prayers, "talk" to you all soon through my blog or phone!
Carmen

Travel and Pre-Op Day

Good Morning! We will be hitting the road shortly to go to Denver. I have appointments all afternoon. First the neurosurgeon, next the neuro-otologist and lastly the hospital. It will be a little bit hectic I imagine.

I am checking into the hospital at 5:30 AM and the surgery is supposed to start at 7:30 tomorrow.

Keep the prayers coming. My sisters will be posting updates!

Two days...

Well, the weekend is over and I didn't really accomplish too much. But, that is okay and the things that really need to be done, will get done tomorrow. Cooper and Connor and I had a good weekend. We did get to see Shrek the Third. We all enjoyed it! For those of you that didn't get to see it, Shrek and Fiona had triplets! That really wasn't what it was about, but probably a cliff-hanger for the fourth.

I want to thank everyone for offering help. I really don't know what help I will need at this point, but the offers are appreciated. If anything comes up, we will let you know.

Now for the details:

Surgery will be at Swedish Medical Center at 7:30 on Wednesday. They anticipate that it will take 6 hours. My sisters will be updating this blog as they feel is necessary or even just to pass the time (??). I don't have any idea what it will be like for them or me. But, maybe the updates will help them to stay occupied. I am sure that I will be out and not really caring.

I will be in the hospital approximately 5 days (I assume post surgery day). That means I will be coming home on Memorial Day, but we will see. I don't really know if I want to travel that day, as everyone will be trying to get home from the long weekend.

I am going to close for now, and try to post tomorrow or Tuesday.

Keep the prayers coming as this is in God's Hands now!

Five days to go

Well, I am counting Friday through Tuesday and the surgery is on Wednesday. Seems really strange... Back in March when the doctor kept moving my appt back for the consult, it seemed like time was going by oh so slowly. Now, that everything is set into motion, it seems like the days are flying. I sure hope the days in the hospital and the days of recovery also go by quickly. I shouldn't be wishing that at all though. It seems like time does go by quickly and there is nothing we can do about that concept except to deal with it and try to cherish every moment. (Be it good or bad I suppose!)

Wow, am I getting a little too deep here?? Oh well. That is what this space is for.

Tomorrow is my last day of work for awhile. I have things taken care of to the best of my ability, I hope.

Thank you everyone for the comments, they make this a little more interesting for me. For those of you who would like to email me and not post comments, my email address is dragonflyclg@yahoo.com.

Connor can't stop talking about Shrek the Third. It opens tomorrow, so I am sure we will be one of the millions taking it in this weekend. Connor's last soccer game is Saturday. That means all of the extra curricular activities are done. We went to a picnic for Cooper's last night at cub scouts tonight. Connor's kindergarten graduation is on June 4th, so I am hoping I will be able to get out by then. Actually, a mini goal. Track day is the 7th, so we'll see if I can make it to that, too, unless the boys go to Jackson with Jerry for a rod run that weekend.

I think I have rambled on enough for tonight. I hope I didn't bore you all!

Photos

Here are a few of the photos from last week. I like them. Now, I have until the 22nd to view them on a web page set up by the photographer. One more thing to get done. Although, he said I can order later, but they won't be on the web to view anymore after that. That's fine.

I am not feeling too nervous. Everything is out of my control, so I don't feel like worrying and stressing is going to get me far. I do talk to God more than before though. It is in his hands.

Today at lunch, Kandi (from work) and I put together a fleece tied blanket for me to take to the hospital and have with me to keep warm afterwards too. It has Winnie the Pooh on one side and pastels on the other. I am sure that will come in handy, as I am always cold anyway. Thanks Kandi!!

I got my new bed today. Nice new sheets, too! I bet it is going to be cozy. I sure hope so.

That's about all for now....

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mom's out there!!

The boys are with their dad, but I am going to go over and see them in awhile. I have been fairly busy this weekend. I got the tree branches cleaned up with the help of a friend and the lawn mowed. I went shopping for bedding for my new bed that will be here Tuesday afternoon. I got a queen and didn't have any queen bedding, so had to start from scratch. Other than that, I am doing laundry and just some general picking up and organizing.

I did get my hair cut yesterday. She just kind of cut the long layers shorter to be the same length as the next longest layer, so it is thicker and fuller and will hopefully cover the shaved area so it doesn't show too much. I'm sure the next cut will be the challenging one!

We are going to have a busy week. The kids have something going on every evening but Wed and Fri. After Saturday, it will calm down. At least I will be busy and that will keep my mind occupied.

10 days to go!

Wednesday

Hi, well we made it over hump day. We went and had our photos taken in the park tonight. It was alot of fun. Tryin' to get past the cheesey grins was a little bit of a challenge, but I think we got some good shots. I will be able to view them tomorrow probably. I can't wait. I will see if the photographer will post a few to this blog. We went to Nancy English Park, a very nice evening with little wind, can you believe that, here in Casper!
We are trying to get things together at work. My bosses and everyone are being really great! Thank YOU!! I really do appreciate that. That helps lighten the stress load.
13 days to go.... BLAHH!!

Sunday

Well, I still have power and the internet. The satellite went out a few times, and I went up on the roof and cleared the snow off it, then it was fine. Thank you God that the big elm held on! The crab apple didn't fair so well, at least a couple of big limbs are gone. I'll have to get out after it melts and clean up. It never got below about 30-32 degrees. I think that it actually rained during the night. It is wet!

Have a good Sunday!

SNOW

You won't believe the snow here! Check it out!

We went skating, when we went in, the snow was not sticking, but when we came out, there was about 2-3" of snow on the ground. That's Wyoming for you!! One of my crabapple trees has at least one big broken limb. That's it in the pic on the right, you can see it in the background. The lilacs are drooping, but I went out and knocked as much of the snow as I could. I am worried about one big dead limb on one of my chinese elm trees that hangs directly over my power line. I was supposed to meet a guy today for a bid on that, and he didn't call me to set up a time. The last quote I had was pretty high, so I thought I would get another one. I sure hope it holds. Happy Spring Snow!

Saturday

Good day everyone! It is raining pretty good this morning and probably most of the night. That is good, we can use the moisture.
Not much is going on with us this weekend. I am going to try to get my house a little more organized. The family room is full of toys that need to go to the basement. And just some general picking up I guess. The boys rented the Spy Kids trilogy, so that is what they are doing right now. We might have to go roller skating or bowling this weekend. Those are a couple of other things that I won't be doing for a while after surgery and both boys love em. Maybe we'll do one today and one tomorrow.

Boy it was a long week for me. I had a hard time sleeping this week and felt just exhausted. I got a little extra rest last night, so hopefully that will help. I think the emotions are starting to set in a little bit more as the surgery date gets closer. 18 days to go.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

May Day

I love Spring. It is my favorite season. The rebirth is just fascinating. We are having a thunder storm right now. I love it, especially the smell of rain.

I went to the field for work today. The meadowlarks were amazing. I just had to stop and listen. Their song is just amazing. I paid particular attention as I may not ever hear their song in stereo again if I loose the hearing in my AN ear. I am definitely more aware of that kind of thing now. I even cranked up the stereo in the car.

By the way, I am not feeling sick or having any real symptoms now. I am a little more tired maybe, but that is about the only symptom I am feeling at this point. The reason I mention that is because people have been asking how I feel. I actually don't feel bad.

I have probably had this tumor for maybe 10-15 years. "They" say AN's grow at a rate of about 1-2 mm per year. I have had the feeling of stuffiness in one ear for some years. It is funny, because when I mentioned this to the doctors, they said it was "fluid behind the eardrum" and to take some sudafed to help it drain. Never worked.. Huh? (Sue, you better comment on this!)

Counting down.... 22 days

Monday

Well, tomorrow is May 1, May Day. That means that I have 23 days and counting. I had a good weekend. I ended up being able to take Connor to both of his soccer games and Cooper to the Scout-o-rama. We had a fun day.

I did some yard work on Sunday, that was about it. A pretty good weekend.

Tomorrow, I am going north to do some field work. It will be a quick trip.

Comments: I had the settings where it wouldn't let anyone post, so now that is fixed. I think you may have to set up a Google account.

Happy MAY DAY everyone!!

Preparations

Hello, I hope everyone is well and going to enjoy this nice weekend upon us. Boy1 has the Scout-a-rama tomorrow, and as this is our first, it should be a lot of fun. We will probably be there most of the day. Boy2 has soccer too, so hopefully all of that will work out.
I am going to get my bike out and ride as much as possible in the next three weeks, because with the balance issues I am not sure when I will be able to ride again. Actually, as I sit here and ponder on that one, I am going to make that one of my goals by the end of the summer. Huh, I wonder if that will be possible?!? We can only hope...
I have been walking as much as I can. I am hoping that will help with my recovery. I think that walking as much as possible after the surgery will help me get my balance back. I may look funny afterwards with the balance issue, but that will have to be how it is.... May not be able to walk straight.
I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Take care!

More

A few statistics:

1. I have a 50/50 chance of retaining hearing on the left side.
2. 6-8 week recovery.
3. Acoustic neuroma is not really a tumor on the acoustic nerve, but the vestibular nerve, which is the balance nerve.
4. Surgery will sever vestibular nerve. The right side will compensate eventually, that is why the recovery is so long.
5. I won't be able to drive during the day for 4 weeks and after dark for 3 MONTHS.
6. I won't be able to wash my hair for 12 days! ICK!
7. I will have severe dizziness/nausea/vertigo when I wake up from surgery due to the balance nerve being severed. This will probably last a few days.

I am sure this is just the beginning. More later...

Surgery date

Okay, I have the date of surgery nailed down to May 23, 2007. I have 2 reasons for picking this particular week for the surgery. 1. Soccer is over for boy2 and cub scouts is over for boy1 the prior week. 2. My 20 year class reunion is 8 weeks after. I doubt I will be partying, but at least I will be able to see friends that I haven't seen in a while.

I went through my MRI images and selected a few to post. Here they are:

Pretty weird aren't they!!

Introduction

Hi, As many of you know, I have an Acoustic Neuroma. I will abreviate it as "AN". Mine is 1.5cmx1.6cmx1.7cm in size.

In February, I had sudden hearing loss on my left side. My sister Sue is an Audiologist, so I called her and she told me to get to the doctor ASAP. So I went and saw the local ENT and had a hearing test, which indicated that I had lost about half of my hearing in my left ear and the right was still good. He put me on steriods and sent me for an MRI. The steroids actually helped and I have close to normal hearing back in the left ear.

But, the MRI indicated that I have the AN. So, on March 9th about 5 pm, the ENT called me with the news and that is where this journey started.

I guess at first, I was in shock a little bit, especially since I had no clue what an AN was. So of course, with the magic of the internet, I started my research.

Summary of AN:

1. An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor.
2. It is usually slow growing and expands at its site of origin.
3. The most common first symptom is hearing loss in the tumor ear only.
4. The cause is unknown.
5. A large tumor pushes on the surface of the brain but does not grow into the brain tissue.
6. Continued tumor growth can be life threatening.
7. The treatment options are observation, surgical removal or radiation.
8. Occurance rate is 1 in 100,000 diagnosed per year. (so in Wyoming, that is 5 per year)