Happy Thursday - How You All Doing Today!

 Sorry Laureen,
The Phillies killed the Mets tonight.  They had an 8 or 9 run first inning, and then a bunch of runs in the ninth, including a Ryan Howard grand slam.  So, the score at the bottom of the ninth is 16-1.

My son and I are having a blast though.

Hugs,
Trish

Yeah, whatever!!!!  LOL

Trish, hope your epidural eventually helped you. Ice packs usually help afterward. I did one without sedation and vowed I would never do one without it again.

Eileen,

I can't count how many epidurals I've had, all without sedation.  Today was my first in the cervical spine.  I once got two at the same time, in two different areas.  With all the surgeries and rhizotomies, I'd never find someone to drive me.  However, after today, I just might do sedation.  I do a lot of deep breathing exercises when getting a shot, and it helps me ride out the worst of it.  Plus, the nurses and doctor talk me through it.  My doctor always warns me prior to anything he does, so I know to start the breathing.  Still, this was only the second time I wanted to jump through the roof during it.  Usually, that means the area getting the shot is very enflamed.

Thanks for understanding.

Hugs,
Trish

Aloha dear Laureen.....It is so nice to see you here, and I just had to post. I read every day and feel honored to get to peek into all of my OFF sisters lives, good and bad. Laureen, your life is busy, busy, and I always hear a note of encouragement and support in your posts, even when you are under extreme pressure. I appreciate you very much!!

Judy and Nan, you are both such troopers......dealing with life's huge challenges with courage, hope and generosity. My wishes for both of you is a clean bill of health, and a life filled with happiness and love.

Connie.....your life is a challenge for sure, AND you still have the inner strength to send out wishes for good in everyone else's lives. You are loved, admired, and cherished. Hopefully your living situation finds the right balance for you. I wish I had a MAGIC WAND!!

My life has been thankfully mostly peaceful lately. My work with the babies at the hospital continues to enrich my life, and I am thankful to have frequent contact with new life, and the gift of snuggling with newborns many times each week. I get to calm down wailing babies and I've developed some little "tricks" to get their attention so that I can test their hearing. They need to be quiet. Sadly all too often I get "drug babies" who are addicted when they are born and scream as they are detoxing. These mothers have done drugs throughout the pregnancy without concern for what they are doing to their babies. Many times, CPS is there to take the babies away. Very hard to see this kind of life's beginning.

Maui is rather quiet this time of year. The families have gone home so children can begin school, the "snow birds" won't be here for a couple of months, so it's really nice to have the beaches wide open, and the ocean uncrowded with surfers, kite boarders, and snorkelers. Although if the waves are BIG, we get tons of locals out surfing and putting on a wonderful show.

Here's hoping you all have something wonderful happen today, and some problem you are worrying about resolved.

With so much aloha always,

OXOX

Karen

Karen,

My dear Hawaiian Sistah. . .  how lovely to hear from you, I so love reading your posts, the pictures you paint, etc. . . 

Perception is the biggest enemy of life, and when it is off, the price is high, I'll take my silly off sided perception over anyone else's any day and at least here and in support group, the people get where I am coming from.  Just for today I am right sized. . .  thanks for your kind words and support, because they mean so much.

Hugs, Laureen

 Hi Laureen and my OFF family:

Busy morning ... dentist, then running around to make sure I had enough money to make my car payment ... yes, I did make it. Not so sure about some other bills, but we'll see. 

Didn't sleep all that well last night ... between the headaches and waking up coughing several times, kind of a mini-asthma attack. I figured out I can't have the windows or sliding door open with the pollen out there now. Even with this nice weather, I have to keep the doors closed. I hope this sinus problem goes away before my surgery next week.

Anyway, have a good day.

Eileen,

Hope that you feel better and that you get a good nights rest tonight. . .

Hugs, Laureen

Good evening Laureen and the rest of our OFF family,
Well it's cooler in Michigan, hubby had the day off and instead of my walk we mowed 8 acres instead, then it was time to clean up and get ready for work.

Thank goodness I don't have to come back to wor****il Tuesday. I'm looking forward to 4 days off and I'm kicking back and relaxing (after the funeral tomorrow anyway).

I got the flu shot and today I wake up with the cold. Yuck! The flu shot is not suppose to make you sick so I think my lovely hubby passed on his rotten cold to me! If I'm too yucky feeling tomorrow I will pass on going to Betty's funeral. She would understand.

And Laureen, you are the perfect weight today! Be sure to read the post I posted today, it makes perfect sense! Hugs Debbie

Dear Eileen:  glad you made the car payment, hope the other bills get paid as well...I really feel for you...and knee surgery next week if I remember dates...Good luck...I am in middle of my busy freelance work period so dont always post but read at least every second day...