Damn It!!!!

Just went out to check the pool cover to see if all the water had been drained off only to find out that we have no water INSIDE the darn pool now! Seems that we had what the pool supply company is calling "the bathtub effect" take place. In other words, as the water on the cover got heavier, it pushed the water inside the pool up and under the top rail, between the walls and out onto the ground.....all.....winter.....long. Now waiting on the water hauling service we used last year to call me back with a price quote. I know it's going to be way more expensive this year since the cost of fuel has gone up so much. What do you do though? I bought that pool to swim in during the summer, I'm not going to just let it sit there.

EDIT: $35 per load plus $65 per hour, averaging 3 hours per load. That is the quote from the water hauler. I know when he first filled the pool, it took 4 loads. I figure this time will take at least 3 loads. That is going to come to around $690! It only cost us $500 to fill it completely last year!

What does this mean?

I went to pick up a copy of my MRI today so I can take it to the neurologist on Monday. When I got the copy home, I had to look at it just to see what my spine looks like and found a note in with the films. It was a letter to my regular doctor stating the findings on the MRI. I'm doing some digging online to see what some of these words mean, but here is what was said:

At L4-5, disc desiccation is present Huh? What is desiccation? I looked online and this is what I've found so far.

This means "atrophy" or "drying out" of the intervertebral disc, resulting in loss of height. Spinal discs are normally rubbery round pads that are filled with a jelly-like substance called the nucleus. Normal disks are well hydrated, the nucleus containing 80 to 85% water and the anulus about 80%. Together with the cartilaginous end plates of the adjacent vertebral bodies, the intervertebral disk forms a disk complex that gives structural integrity to the interspace and cushions the mechanical forces applied to the spine. Dessication is often considered the first stage of spinal degenerative changes, and no longer provides the cushioning necessary between vertebrae.

Ok, so that would explain why I'm half an inch shorter now then I was when I was younger.

Metallic artifact at this level creates limitation of evaluation of patency of the canal Ok, I know what metallic artifact is. I have two steel rods in my back along with several pins and screws from my scoliosis surgery. But what is "Patency of the canal"?

Looks like this is talking about the narrowing of the spinal canal. Apparantly, the metal is making it too hard for the doctor to tell if there is any narrowing of the spinal canal here. Patent means the pathways are clear. I hope mine are.

And finally:

The canal and neuroforamina are patent at L5-S-1 Again, this looks to have something to do with the narrowing of the spinal canal. The neuroforamina is the neural opening. Again, patent means open so I guess this mean that the neural opening is clear and there isn't anything bulging into that space? Now I'm more confused then ever. The only thing I figured out for sure was that first paragraph about the disc desiccation. Everything else is still a muddled mess in my head. Guess I'll just wait and see if the neurologist can explain it better to me in simple English.

Happy Hump Day

I'm so far off on my days this week since Monday was a holiday. All day today I've been trying to say it is Thursday. I guess I'm trying to get my doctor's appointment here faster. I mentioned in yesterday's post that the doctor rescheduled me for this coming Monday, June 2nd, so I'm very happy that I don't have to wait until next Friday now. That's a few less days of suffering that I can look forward too. I know that I'm not going to go in and get instant relief from the doctor, but I am hoping that he can at least come up with a solution for me. I'm even OK with the idea of surgery now. I had said in the beginning that I would not go through another back surgery, but after seeing how much pain I was in over the weekend and the total lack of mobility that I had, well, let's just say that my mind has been changed. Plus, I talked to my brother in law, who had surgery for a ruptured disk a few years ago and he is fine so what do I have to worry about. Right?

I also talked to a relative of my sister in law who's daughter had disk surgery just this past year. She was telling me about microdiskectomy, which is what her daughter had. It's all done through a teeny tiny little incision so no major scars and very little time in the hospital, if any at all. The doctor that I am going to be seeing actually does this as an outpatient procedure! I've done a bit of reading about this option and, if I would have to have surgery, this would be the one that I'd hope to have. Let's hope it doesn't come to the surgery deal, but if so I'm prepared. I have also read up on the lumbar disk surgery so know what to expect from that too. I guess I won't know anything though until my doctor's appointment.

It's Over Already?

Did I really have a 3 day weekend? It sure doesn't feel like it. Maybe it's because my back was out for 2 of those 3 days and I didn't get to enjoy the time off work like I'd wanted. Yeah, you read that right. My darn back was out. It started bugging me Saturday, but not enough that it stopped me from doing laundry and other chores. No, it waited until I got up Sunday morning, the day of my brother's picnic, to really kick in. I was able to take vicodin and at least get up to my brothers, eat lunch and visit with family a little, but I was so spacey that I didn't really enjoy myself. We ended up leaving early and coming back home. I thought that rest would help me feel better, but by the time Sunday evening got here I was to the point that I just wanted someone to shoot me. I couldn't stand up. I couldn't sit down. I couldn't move without my back sending shooting pain up my back and down my legs. I finally just took another vicodin and a celebrex and went to bed, hoping that I felt better Monday morning. No such luck though.

When I got up Monday, I "thought" I was feeling better, but then I bent over to pick up a pair of pants and my back completely went out and I ended up on the floor. Talk about painful! I don't know how long I laid there before I finally just told myself that I had to get up. I managed to pull myself over to the bed and lug my big ol' butt up off the floor that way. I spent most of yesterday on the couch, sipping banana rum and watching tv. I didn't move a lot at all because every movement sent sharp pains in all directions.

Thinking that a hot bath might help, I had hubby help me into the tub later that evening. It felt good while I was in there, but then I had the fun of trying to get back out. Major mistake on my part. It took several minutes to even haul myself up to a kneeling position, then to standing. I had to have hubby physically lift me over the side of the tub because I couldn't get my leg up high enough without pain. Talk about embarrassing! It's one thing to have your husband sweep you lovingly into his arms, but to have to haul your naked butt out of the tub because you can't move, well, let's just say it isn't the most romantic thing.

Later that evening when I went to bed, I decided to seek a bit of help from the man upstairs. I wasn't looking for a huge miracle cure, just enough help to get me moving again. I have a doctor's appointment next week. I can deal with the type of pain I'd been having in the one leg (numbness, some throbbing, etc), but I just could not deal with the inability to move and do my daily things. I just kept repeating over and over until I fell asleep that I needed help.

When I woke up this morning, I really didn't figure I'd feel any different and when I first rolled over to shut the alarm off I did still feel twinges in my lower back. But, I got up and slowly made my way to the bathroom...no problem. I got dressed...no problem. I walked out to the living room...still no problem. I think it is safe to say that I got my little miracle. I still have pain in the right leg and it is still tingling and sort of numb, but the pain in my left hip/lower back is pretty much gone today! I'm taking it easy and not over doing, for fear that I'll mess it up again, but at least I'm able to walk out to the car, even if it is slowly. I was able to drive into town, get some work done online, etc. I hope beyond hope that it stays this way....at least until my doctor's appointment next Friday.

EDIT: Got a phone call from the neurologist this afternoon to let me know that the doctor wasn't going to be in next Friday. I thought, "great, how much longer am I going to have to wait now", but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they wanted me to come in this coming Monday, the 2nd, instead. Yay! Less time to wait in pain. I'm very very happy.

I'm back...I think

Did you miss me? I am finally back. I finished up the billing only to end up sick as a dog for a few days. Started feeling better from that and then my back started acting up. To end it all, I had a killer migraine yesterday that totally threw me for a loop. I accomplished absolutely squat the entire day and so today has been a day of playing catch up. I think I deserve this 3 day weekend coming up although I've already been informed that we'll be doing yardwork and getting the pool ready so I guess I'll still be working. Blah!

I'll be MIA for awhile

Had a good Mother's Day. I hope all you other mom's out there did too. Weather sucked, but spending time with the family was awesome. I'll be super busy this week getting this months billing finished up so I can get it sent out by Thurday. I hate this time of the month. That is until all the checks start rolling in. Then it isn't so bad. Anyway, just wanted to let you know if you didn't hear from me for a while then that is why. Later All!!!

The Big 4-0

Today is my birthday...the big 4-0. I must admit that I wasn't looking forward to this day. For the past year, I've been teased about turning 40 and it was starting to get to me. I got up this morning, however, with a good attitude and guess what. It's actually made the day pretty good. Oh, and the gifts helped a lot too. HA!

My daughter gave me two cds:





I had lunch with my mom,


And hubby sent me these beautiful flowers:


Hubby is also saying that there will be dinner out tonight and my son also has a gift for me, but he said I had to wait until he gets home from school today to receive it. All in all, a good 40th. I don't know what I was afraid of.

Cinco De Mayo

Happy Cinco De Mayo to those of you who celebrate. I have always wondered what the origin of Cinco De Mayo was, being as I'm not of mexican or chicano descent. I did a bit of online digging and found some interesting facts. If you want to read the entire article, click HERE. Otherwise, here are just a few interesting facts that I'd like to share:

1. Cinco De Mayo marks the victory of the Mexicans over the French in the Battle of Puebla, demonstrating to the world that Mexico and Latin America would defend themselves of any foreign intervention.

2. Cinco De Mayo is more commercialized now in the United States then it is in Mexico, and is more of a Chicano holiday then a Mexican one.

3. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities.

Socialspark

Hi all. As some of you know, I am self-employed with my husband. We run our own business out of our house. That is fine and all, but there never seems to be enough money coming in to pay our bills. So, I've been looking at alternative ways to earn money, mainly by utilizing this blog. I am already a member of several pay to write websites, but am always on the lookout for more. I wanted to let you all know that there is a new one out there. It's called SocialSpark and it is awesome.

It is similar to the other websites, but this one is better in so many ways. First of all, they offer the following code of ethics:

-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
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It's a super easy website to use. You know how some websites you just feel lost when you get there? Socialspark is definitely not one of them. This website is easy and to the point.

It's a great place to meet people and make friends. That's the "social" part of the whole thing. I love meeting new people online!

Obviously, another great deal with this website is that you can make money. I like that you can do it in your own time and in your own home.

But, I think, the biggest thing about Socialspark is that it drives traffic to your blog. You can search blogs on the website and others can search yours. You find some fabulous new reads and you get tons of traffic to your blog in return. More traffic equals more opps to write about equals more money in your pocket. So, why not head on over to SocialSpark today. You'll be glad you did.

Woo Hoo!

I knew that my hubby had talked to someone about getting our deck built around the pool this year, but I had no idea that he'd already made plans for them to do it. This is what I came home to today:


I'm so excited! No climbing out of the pool on a wobbly ladder this year. No chance of slipping and breaking my neck on wet plastic. No grassy feet getting into the clean pool water. Yay! This deck is attached to our other deck by the walkway that you can see in the second picture. The deck by the pool isn't huge, but it is big enough to set a couple of lawn chairs or a chair and side table on. It'll be so nice to be able to climb out of the pool and sunbathe if I want this year. Or, if I don't feel like getting into the pool, I'll still be able to sit out by it and enjoy watching the kids swim. I'm just so ecstatic about this whole surprise. Now it just needs to warm up enough so I can enjoy it.