Laura's Life Day by Day
These are the things that go on in Laura's life. Thoughts, emotions, concerns, and just day to day living in Laura's world.
About Me
- Name: Laura
- Location: Roseville, Michigan, United States
I've been married for thirty years now. I have three grown children and five grandchildren, and another due in November. My boys are both married and my youngest, my only daughter still lives at home. I work at an assisted living place taking care of elderly residents.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
I love the early part of the summer. The grass is green. The flowers are in bloom. No matter how hot it gets during the day, it still seems to cool down after the sun sets, which makes it perfect weather for sleeping. I've been pretty busy lately with work, gardening, doing errands, and also going to the chiropracter 3 times a week because of some problems with my spine. The spine in my neck area goes zigzigged instead of straight, which was causing alot of migraines due to the pressure of the nerves. The good thing is that since my second adjustment, the migraines, which I was getting almost daily, have subsided. Also, my lower spine is curved like a "C", which is not good news. They can only fix that about 50%. But I guess that's better than what it's like now. Today I went to see my friend, Betty. She just got back from three weeks in
Europe. Lucky her. She went to London, France, Italy and Switzerland. I've always wanted to go to Italy. I'd like to visit Vatican City, Venice, Tuscany, Rome and Sicily. I'll probably never get to go, but that would be my dream vacation. Betty brought me back a collector's plate, a bookmark, and a miraculous medal from the Vatican. That's probably the closest I'll ever get to my dream vacation, is getting the souvineers. She showed me all the stuff that she brought back from her travels except for her pictures, they are still getting developed. I can't wait to see them. From the sound of it, she had a wonderful time.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The tests are in!!!
Hi everybody. The heart tests came back and as far as they can tell, my heart is alright!!! They also redid the breathing tests and this time, she made me stand up to breathe into the machine because she said that sitting can push on the diaphram and restrict my breathing. So I stood up and breathed as hard as I could into that stupid machine, and this time instead of having the lungs of a 120 year old non-smoking female, I the test said I have the lung funtion of a 78 year old non-smoking female!!! I am so relieved that my heart is ok, I just can't breathe good, and I can live with that. I have to quit smoking, do breathing exercises and stuff like that to get my lung funtion back to close to normal. The quiting smoking is the hard part. I did it when my Sheila was little and it was easy. This time, I've only been smoking for 7 years and I am having a real hard time with quiting. I can't get that new medicine they have out for quiting either because it will interfere with the medication that I currently take. So I'm hoping I can do it on my own. Maybe I'll just get that patch thing and see if that works. Wish me luck.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Just a physical please
OK, as you know if you read this blog regularly, the owners of my work are selling the assisted living facility to new owners. I am not sure yet just who those new owners will be, but I know the transition will be happening soon. Therefore, I figured since I have good insurance now and who knows what I'll get when the new people take over, I thought I'd get a physical, new glasses, and my teeth checked before the policy changes. Well, I got as far as the physical. Now, when I went in that doctors office, I was feeling pretty good. You see, I don't usually go in for regular check ups, I just go when I'm sick, get something to help me get better, and then forget about the doctor until the next time I get sick. Not this time.
My brother wanted me to get my cholesterol checked because his was high even though he's not overweight and he's very active. My best friend, Betty keeps harping on me about a pap test and a mamogram, and Sammy at work says I should go to the doctor about this dull pushing pain that I've been experiencing for the past few months in my chest. I think I just hurt myself from putting on one of my very large resident's compression boots every day. Also everytime I go to the doctor with bronchitis, he always tells me to set up an appointment for a breathing test when I'm feeling better . . . which of course, I never do. So I make the appointment at the doctor's office. They tell me I have to fast for 14 hours to get a proper reading on my cholesterol test. This sucks bigtime!!! However, I'm a good girl and I starve myself for the 14 hours before my appointment and I go into the office feeling hungry, but good. I get weighed, get into the room and the nurse asks me what I'm there for. I tell her, just for a physical. Then she asks me a ton of questions such as. . . when was your last period, when was your last pap test, last mamogram. She gasps when I tell her the last time I got a pap test or a mamogram was when my Sheila was 9 years old. Then I tell her about my brothers cholesterol levels being why I wanted mine checked and about the dull pain in my chest. She doesn't seem too concerned, takes my blood pressure, which is a little on the high side, tells me to pee in a cup she hands me and leaves the room. I go to the bathroom, pee in the cup, then go back to exam room where the nurse is waiting for me with one of those stupid tie up hospital type gowns. She tells me to take everything off and put the robe on and that the doctor will be with me shortly. Which I do, no problem.
Then the trouble starts. The doctor comes in with this very concerned look on his face and starts with "lets start at the begginning." He asks why after all these years did I decide to come in for a pap test now? Asks if there was anything wrong that caused this decision to be made. He smirked when I told him no, but while I was getting examed I might as well get one of those tests too so my best friend would get off my back about it every time I see her.
Then he starts in with my brother's cholesterol problem, asks about different diseases that family members have. He becomes very interested about my dad's valve replacement surgery and the fact that gestational heart defects run on his side of the family and that my dad found out when they did surgery on him that he was born missing one of his heart valves, which was probably the reason for him having an enlarged heart since he was about 40. The doctor writes stuff down then leaves the room. OK, now I'm getting really nervous.
The nurse comes back in to get me ready for the pap test. The doctor comes back in and does the test. Both the doctor and the nurse are commenting on the funny look I have on my face while this procedure is taking place. I respond by saying, Why do you think its been so long since I had one of these done? I hate these things. The doctor laughs and says, " I'd be worried about you if you said you liked it." Then he tells me about the breathing test that the nurse is going to do and tells me that she is going to take my blood. He leaves the room again.
The nurse gets my blood, and then brings out this little machine that I'm suppose to breath into as hard, but steady, as I can for as long as I can. I take a deep breath when she tells me, then I blow into this little thing. Meanwhile she is saying to me, "that's it, keep going, keep going." After the first time she makes me do this, I'm feeling dizzy. So she makes me do it 2 more times. Then I have to get a couple of chest x-rays. After that, she brings me back into the exam room, does an EKG on me and tells me the doctor will be in to talk to me shortly. Then she leaves the room. I sit there waiting for the doctor.
The doctor comes back in a short time later. He tells me that my pap test is negative and I'm thinking, well that's good. Then he tells me that he wants to set up a couple of heart tests for me. A stress test and a echocardiagram (he tells me this is an ultrasound of the heart) and also a doppler test, which I have no idea what this is. Then he tells me about the mamogram he wants to set up, which doesn't bother me at all. Then he lays on me that my breathing test results say I have moderate emphysema. He procedes to tell me that the test compares my results to that of a non smoking female. He says I have the lung funtion of a 120 year old non smoking female!!! So I say, What are you trying to tell me? That my lungs are dead or something? He says that he's not going to do anything about the lung thing until my heart test results come back. Then he wants to see me again to discuss the heart tests. He says that my lung funtion could be caused by a heart problem and he wants to rule that out first before he deals with the emphysema. I leave the office feeling scared and yes, still hungry. The next day when I get home from work, there is a message on my answering machine from the doctors office wanting me to call. I'm thinking, What now? More bad news or what? So I call the office and the receptionist tells me that my blood results came back and my cholesterol and my tryglisoride levels are too high. I think, wonderful. So now on the 30th of this month, I have to go get these tests done, then set up an appointment to see Dr. Doom and Gloom about a week later. All I keep thinking is that I hope all this stuff gets done before they switch my insurance provider at work. And all I wanted to get was a physical. Well, at least I have a normal pap test and the lung x-rays didn't show any signs of lung cancer. Thank God for small favors.
My brother wanted me to get my cholesterol checked because his was high even though he's not overweight and he's very active. My best friend, Betty keeps harping on me about a pap test and a mamogram, and Sammy at work says I should go to the doctor about this dull pushing pain that I've been experiencing for the past few months in my chest. I think I just hurt myself from putting on one of my very large resident's compression boots every day. Also everytime I go to the doctor with bronchitis, he always tells me to set up an appointment for a breathing test when I'm feeling better . . . which of course, I never do. So I make the appointment at the doctor's office. They tell me I have to fast for 14 hours to get a proper reading on my cholesterol test. This sucks bigtime!!! However, I'm a good girl and I starve myself for the 14 hours before my appointment and I go into the office feeling hungry, but good. I get weighed, get into the room and the nurse asks me what I'm there for. I tell her, just for a physical. Then she asks me a ton of questions such as. . . when was your last period, when was your last pap test, last mamogram. She gasps when I tell her the last time I got a pap test or a mamogram was when my Sheila was 9 years old. Then I tell her about my brothers cholesterol levels being why I wanted mine checked and about the dull pain in my chest. She doesn't seem too concerned, takes my blood pressure, which is a little on the high side, tells me to pee in a cup she hands me and leaves the room. I go to the bathroom, pee in the cup, then go back to exam room where the nurse is waiting for me with one of those stupid tie up hospital type gowns. She tells me to take everything off and put the robe on and that the doctor will be with me shortly. Which I do, no problem.
Then the trouble starts. The doctor comes in with this very concerned look on his face and starts with "lets start at the begginning." He asks why after all these years did I decide to come in for a pap test now? Asks if there was anything wrong that caused this decision to be made. He smirked when I told him no, but while I was getting examed I might as well get one of those tests too so my best friend would get off my back about it every time I see her.
Then he starts in with my brother's cholesterol problem, asks about different diseases that family members have. He becomes very interested about my dad's valve replacement surgery and the fact that gestational heart defects run on his side of the family and that my dad found out when they did surgery on him that he was born missing one of his heart valves, which was probably the reason for him having an enlarged heart since he was about 40. The doctor writes stuff down then leaves the room. OK, now I'm getting really nervous.
The nurse comes back in to get me ready for the pap test. The doctor comes back in and does the test. Both the doctor and the nurse are commenting on the funny look I have on my face while this procedure is taking place. I respond by saying, Why do you think its been so long since I had one of these done? I hate these things. The doctor laughs and says, " I'd be worried about you if you said you liked it." Then he tells me about the breathing test that the nurse is going to do and tells me that she is going to take my blood. He leaves the room again.
The nurse gets my blood, and then brings out this little machine that I'm suppose to breath into as hard, but steady, as I can for as long as I can. I take a deep breath when she tells me, then I blow into this little thing. Meanwhile she is saying to me, "that's it, keep going, keep going." After the first time she makes me do this, I'm feeling dizzy. So she makes me do it 2 more times. Then I have to get a couple of chest x-rays. After that, she brings me back into the exam room, does an EKG on me and tells me the doctor will be in to talk to me shortly. Then she leaves the room. I sit there waiting for the doctor.
The doctor comes back in a short time later. He tells me that my pap test is negative and I'm thinking, well that's good. Then he tells me that he wants to set up a couple of heart tests for me. A stress test and a echocardiagram (he tells me this is an ultrasound of the heart) and also a doppler test, which I have no idea what this is. Then he tells me about the mamogram he wants to set up, which doesn't bother me at all. Then he lays on me that my breathing test results say I have moderate emphysema. He procedes to tell me that the test compares my results to that of a non smoking female. He says I have the lung funtion of a 120 year old non smoking female!!! So I say, What are you trying to tell me? That my lungs are dead or something? He says that he's not going to do anything about the lung thing until my heart test results come back. Then he wants to see me again to discuss the heart tests. He says that my lung funtion could be caused by a heart problem and he wants to rule that out first before he deals with the emphysema. I leave the office feeling scared and yes, still hungry. The next day when I get home from work, there is a message on my answering machine from the doctors office wanting me to call. I'm thinking, What now? More bad news or what? So I call the office and the receptionist tells me that my blood results came back and my cholesterol and my tryglisoride levels are too high. I think, wonderful. So now on the 30th of this month, I have to go get these tests done, then set up an appointment to see Dr. Doom and Gloom about a week later. All I keep thinking is that I hope all this stuff gets done before they switch my insurance provider at work. And all I wanted to get was a physical. Well, at least I have a normal pap test and the lung x-rays didn't show any signs of lung cancer. Thank God for small favors.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tax Time!!!
Yes, It's tax time again. Of course, I waited till almost the last minute to file again this year. I hate tax time. I always end up frustrated, irritated, confused and generally feeling ripped off each year around this time. I hate all that paperwork!!! I also hate the fact that I pay out so much throughout the year and I hardly get anything back. It really sucks! This year the major problem is I can't find the tax return form for the city taxes. My husband said he has seen it laying around, however, I can't find it. He doesn't remember where he saw it and it wasn't with all the other tax return stuff. So now I have to hurry up and get another city return form and then hurry up and fill it out before the deadline comes. Boy do I have a migrane headache right about now. Tommorrow after work I get to balance the checkbook and pay the bills. Oh, happy day!!!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Another One!
So, on my 30th Anniversary, my oldest son and his wife and kids come over the house. This is the son that has the three girls (a 3 year old and 1 year old twins). They hand me a card. I open it up and read it. At the bottom it is signed, Love RickyII, Heather, Cassidy, Laurie, Deanna, and BABY # 4!!!! At first I thought this was an April Fool's Day joke, because my anniversary is April 1st. But my daughter-in-law shows me the paperwork for her to get her 1st ultra sound done and I realize that this is not a joke. My first thought is, "Are you out of your $#!$#%@# mind!!! Then fear sets in as I think, "Oh no, what if it's another set of twins or something"!!! Then when the shock starts wearing off, I congradulate them all the while thinking, "this is going to be 4 kids under 4 years old". She is due in November. Cassidy will be 4 December 30th and the twins will be 2 on December 28th. This will be my 6th grandchild before I even reach 50 years old on December 1st. I might as well put a sign up in front of the house that reads . . . Grandma's Day Care Center. Anyways, she finds out on April 14th if there is more than one baby in there this time. For their sake, I hope it's just one and I hope that it is the boy that my son is praying for. But in my nightmarish thoughts I keep thinking, it will probably be triplets this time and all girls!!!!
Monday, April 02, 2007
Where did it all go?
I don't know what happened. I went to my blog site and my most recent posts are not there. As a matter of fact, there are no posts since the beginning of last December!!! I have no idea where they went to. Maybe they ran away out into cyberspace somewhere, who knows. Maybe it's because I didn't switch over to the new blogger thing until I was forced to because the old way is no longer available. Needless to say, I'm pretty upset that my posts are gone.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
A poem for our anniversary
This Sunday my husband and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. Now I'm not much of a poet. As a matter of fact, I have only written 2 poems in my lifetime. One when my son's best friend died and this one which I wrote for my husband. So in honor of our anniversary, I am sharing this poem with all of you. It's short and mushy, but just bare with me.
My Husband, My Life
We've been together for many years,
With you I shared my hopes and fears.
You've seen me through good times and bad,
You gave me comfort when I was sad.
You made me laugh, filled my heart with joy.
You gave me a girl and two little boys.
I'd look at them and I'd see you,
In the little things they'd say and do.
And now they're grown, It's just us again,
I'll love you forever, Your my best friend.
And when we're old and our time is through,
I'll thank the Lord for a husband like you.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
I'm Back!!!
Gosh, it seems like forever since I've wrote on this blog. I don't know why I stopped for so long. I just didn't feel like doing much of anything. Just been working, cleaning house and watching grandkids and not much else lately. This Sunday coming up my husband and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary! Boy, how the time flys by. It seems like just yesterday all our kids were little, now they're all grown up and we have 5 grandchildren. I have been truely blessed.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Sick, Sick, Sick
OK, First my Sheila gets a bad case of the flu, and now I got this terrible case of bronchitis. Maybe the germs in this house will turn on each other and kill each other instead of attacking all the people in this house. Thank God I didn't have to work this weekend because when I looked out the window this morning and saw all that ice everywhere, I thought to myself. . . I ain't doing nothin' all day today!!! And I've been true to my word. This is the first thing I've done all day besides sit in a lazyboy chair with the remote control in hand. I haven't been sleeping well because if I lay down, all that congestion gets caught up in my lungs and I start hacking away. My ribs and my back are hurting really bad, probably from all that coughing. Unfortunately, it's back to work for me tomorrow. Wish me luck getting through the day. Hope everyone out there is doing well, or at least, better than I am.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Let it snow!!!
Thank God I have tomorrow off of work!!! All this snow is coming down, the winds are blowing and it's not fit for man nor beast to be outside. I am so glad that I don't have to worry about driving in it tomorrow morning. They say we will have about 6 to 8 inches of the white stuff before morning. I've already been out to shovel twice, and it's still coming down hard. I can't wait until spring arrives. I'm sick and tired of the cold weather. And poor Taco!!! By morning the snow will be higher than he is tall. The poor puppy gives me those sad puppydog eyes everytime I take him out to go to the bathroom. He looks to me as if to say what did I ever do to you to deserve this kind of treatment?