Here's Some Pictures...

First thing's first...I'VE LOST 5 LBS!!! YAY! I have got to get myself back in shape. I've been trying to drink more water, cut out my evening snacks (*sigh*), and I'm trying to work myself back up to working out again. It's hard since my arms and legs don't always allow me to do certain things, but I'm determined. Plus, I can't let that new home gym just sit up there, can I??

On the flip side, Phil has lost 20 lbs! He's doing far better than I am so far... ;) I'm proud of him!!
Thought I would share a couple of pictures of the girls.

This is a picture of the girls this past Saturday rooting on the UK Wildcats in their cheer-gear:

This one, I like to call, "I swear we're not eating the yellow snow!!"

In other news...STILL waiting on my MRI date!! Getting pretty aggravated about that. In the meantime, Phil and I are getting busy on getting the house fixed up. We're going to start painting our master suite tomorrow (not an easy accomplishment), followed by attempting to tackle the massive entrance/foyer. I'm not looking forward to that at all (it's a 2-story entrance). Wish I had the money to call someone to come do it for us....I'm scared of heights! I'm excited to get it all done, though. We've been in that house for 7 months now just staring at white walls, so it's time to get it done. I'll post pictures when we get it finished.

So it's going to be a FUN weekend between getting the rest of my payroll tax returns/W-2's/1099's out and painting. Weeeeeeee!

Second verse - same as the first...

Here I am posting finally again after yet another illness...a bladder infection this time. YUCK!

Guess what - I just had one back in October. Guess what else - that was the cause of my major exacerbation back in October. Guess what else - do I really need to tell you how I'm feeling today? *sigh* It never ends!

I'm *STILL* waiting on Dr. Fee's office to call me back with my MRI appointment. They said to allow 7-14 days to receive the appointment date. Well, it's been 13 days today. Grrr.... I ain't getting any younger, ya know!!!

Things are really busy for me right now in trying to get year end payroll tax returns and W-2's/1099's out. I'm glad to be busy, of course, but I really do not feel like working right now. It's the least of my worries. I guess that clients pay me to do this stuff, though. Griping, however, will get me nothing!

The girls are both doing pretty well. Maddie is doing OK and is still enjoying her ballet class (and is going into it much better now, thankfully). She's recently discovered the land of board games (ie, Candyland), and now that's all she wants to do! She's a cheater, too!! Ha!

Mackenzie has had some Eczema pop up on her legs recently. It doesn't seem to bother her much, but it sure does look bad, poor baby. She's been so loving lately, which I just love! She loves to hug and kiss all of the time.

I have lots of cute pictures of them to share - playing in the snow, playing in their UK cheerleading outfits, etc. I'll be sure to download and post them in the next day or two.

Sick

Yeh, so the stomach bug hit me hard. It showed up around 5:00 AM yesterday morning and stuck around all day yesterday. Thankfully, I feel better today...just a little icky still, I guess. I HATE throwing up!!!! :(

So far the girls haven't shown any signs of getting it. I sure hope they don't. I hate being sick myself, but I feel SO much worse when they are sick. Heartbreaking!

There's really not been anything for me to write about lately. Besides the normal song and dance, absolutely nothing has been going on. Phil and I stayed home literally all weekend, which was actually kind of nice. I'm so used to just run, run, running all weekend long. Normally I hate to just sit at home, but it's been SO nice to be able to get that extra R & R in since feeling so poorly.

That's about it, I guess. I still need to get some extra pics of my newest scrapbook pages to post. I *THINK* I'm getting much better at it now...heehee!

Hope you all are doing well!!

Another Stinking MRI!!!

I saw Dr. Fee today. He seemed to be in a pretty bad mood today, but that's neither here nor there, I guess.

We just went through the same old routine that we went through back in December. I told him about my symptoms this time, he performed the clinical exam (aka, the "field sobriety test"), and then he set up a repeat MRI of the brain and cervical spine for me.

I was actually a bit surprised that he felt that another MRI was in order already. I just had one 3 months ago! Could there really be that much change in that amount of time?

The irritating thing is that he is sending me back to Lexington Clinic to have it done. That's where I had my first one done under Dr. Cooper. I really didn't like going there, but he wants me to do it there instead of at UK since they will be able to compare the first and second scans together. I do not have copies of the first scans, so therefore, Dr. Fee cannot be the one to compare them. Bleh! Whatever!

I know that it sounds crazy, but I almost hope that there is some kind of a change...that would mean that I could get some help finally! I think it just hit home today that this could be a V-E-R-Y long process - finding out a diagnosis, that is. I just can't even bear the thought of living, breathing, eating and sleeping in the midst of this crap for too much longer.

So I'll go do the MRI again in the next week or two, and then I'll go back to see Dr. Fee in 6 more weeks. And on, and on, and on, and on, and on........

WILL IT EVER END!?! Don't get me wrong...I'm glad to have a doctor that acknowledges my symptoms and believes that there is a problem. I just wish that I could snap my fingers and everything would be back to normal again.

Not Good...

Not good at all...

I've fallen back into another exacerbation. The fatigue has returned with a vengeance as has the numbness, clumsiness and forgetfulness.

As for "new" symptoms this time around, my right hand is still giving me some problems, my left eye continues to be very jumpy (whether I'm exhausted or well-rested), and now my right leg has become VERY painful. I can't even really explain what's going on with my leg because I've never really experienced anything like this before. All I know is that I cried last night because it hurt so badly.

Crap! That's all this is - CRAP! I'm just so frustrated. I did bump my appointment with Dr. Fee up to this Friday at 10:40. Prayers for quick answers and help are greatly appreciated.

Have to go now...

Bleh! Just bleh!

It's not been a good few days. I'm slipping back into the utter crappiness that is my health.

I'm feeling sluggish, tired, weak, and all the other fun stuff again after a big, long reprieve of a whole entire month! (read sarcastically...) I went to sleep around 9:15 on the couch last night, and when I woke up at 8:15 this morning, I felt like a Mack truck ran over me.

The big problem, though, has been my right hand. I can't use it very well anymore. For about a month (or more now), it's been very stiff and a bit sore...almost like arthritis only add a lot of clumsiness and lack of control to the equation.

Yesterday, we went to La Fiesta Grande (our favorite authentic Mexican restaurant) for lunch. I could not use my fork and knife and had to *TRY* to use my left hand to eat. I got so frustrated that I was fighting back tears! It's just so aggravating to not even be able to cut up your own food and put it up to your mouth with your fork! I feel like I should be 80 years old or something.

My appointment with Dr. Fee is on the 24th, but I'm seriously considering changing the appointment to sometime much sooner. Maybe then he'll be able to experience this along with me and be able to see what's going on.

Ugh...I can't even type anymore, so I guess I'll cut it short.

Exhaustedly yours...

Is it Tax Season ALREADY!!??!!

UGH! The mere thought makes me ILL!!! TAXES! Didn't we just finish up from last year!?! Time flies when you're (not) having fun, huh?

I sat down last night to install all of my new 2005 tax programs on my computer last night. Very surreal. I've already been getting phone calls from my clients asking about preparing their W-2's and 1099's. It's good to have the work, I guess, but I'm sure not in the mood for it.

I have to stop complaining for a minute, though, and give my thoughts and prayers up for the families of the Miners who were lost last night in West Virginia. I can't imagine being told one minute that my loved one was alive and well...to feel that hope and excitement about having them come out fine and go back to living my normal life with them...only to have that DASHED a short time later with the news that the officials were "mistaken" - that my loved one was actually dead. My heart aches for each and every one of those people...especially the mothers who stood there holding their small babies in their arms. Babies who would never grow up to know their father. So sad...so tragic...so needless. I pray for peace for each and every one of those people.

Maddie and Mackenzie have both been sick with colds. I *think* they are starting to feel a bit better now, but bless their hearts, they've been the crabbiest two little girls in the state for about two weeks now! I have to count my blessings, though, that they are otherwise healthy and well. I swear, I love those two little monsters more than I ever thought possible! Even when they try my patience...I still smile and get teary-eyed when they are sleeping so peacefully with little smiles on their faces.

On MY homefront...things are status quo. My right hand still acts stupid, my right foot still acts, well, numb, and my left eye still jumps like a hurdler, but it's all part of the charm, I guess. I see Dr. Fee on Jan. 24th (did I already mention that before?)...hopefully, he'll be able to get a better picture of what's been going on.

I finished a 3rd scrapbook page last night. I haven't taken a picture of it yet, but as soon as I do, I'll post it here. It's a FALL page with pictures of the beautiful trees that were around here back in August and September. Turned out pretty good. I can find myself getting REALLY addicted to this scrapbooking junk, and I find myself picking up different pages and decorations in the stores anytime I find scrapbooking stuff. AAAGGHH!!! Help!

Hope everyone out there in cyberland is doing well! Thanks, as always, for being such wonderful, caring friends to me! You really don't know how much you are appreciated...