Bling! and a gross picture of stitches so don't scroll down past the first story if you don't want to see it.

For Christmas we granted Erin permission to get her ears pierced.  

Mixed feelings about it.

She LOVES having earrings and can't wait to switch them out next month.  

Man she's so big.

ALSO: 

(warning: gross picture of stitches below)

I'm recovering from surgery.  

I had a tumor in my saliva gland removed and the reports came back

 that it was benign and should not reoccur.  Yippee! 

I might have some side effects but the most important one that might have happened didn't.  Phew!!

The facial nerve goes right through the spit gland so they had to be really careful not to damage that nerve.  And they didn't.  And I'm so glad.

My sister Cally came down to help out which was so nice.  

But I wish I wasn't drugged and sore so we could have had more fun.

I think I might have to fake another need and have both sisters required to come help but the chance of infection would be high so I would have to recover in some comfy resort hotel with both girls in attendance.  And room service.  And spa service.  

And JD should probably come for the heavy lifting.  Oooo.

Yes, I think so.

*

one recovery and the hopes of one recovery

My hand is feeling better.
Still a little stiff and looking grody still, all green from healing bruises and my fingers have a strange band of bruisy color across the middle knuckles and finger joints as well.  I have tape over the incision and you can see the string ends of the stitches an inch long taped down from either side of the scar.  So needless to say I was a BIG hit in my Sunbeam class today.

I couldn't teach last Sunday because of the meds and my hand was still pained, so the little kidlets colored me a get well card.  Today they asked about my boo boo and it came quite in handy calming a weepy boy who wanted his momma.

"Hey!  If you stay I'll let you look at my scar."

Worked like a charm.  It still has a little dried blood under the tape.  Gross.  Also, you can see the marker marks they drew on there to know where to cut and stitch.  I told them that NEXT week the tape will be off and they can actually see where they cut it open.  Oooooo.
I have a very fun Sunbeam class of 4 boys and two girls.  All very rambunctious and Crazy, but adorable and I love them.
One little boy got up during Singing time walked right in front of me stood there for a second and then carefully started pulling my curls straight and watching them spring back.  Gosh.  It was so cute.

Anyway.

Let me tell you something else.  My Carter has been waking up every hour all night long since who knows when.  We started treating him for 'reflux' in September because he would have these weird things happen where he couldn't breath and he'd grab his tummy....I don't know.  Our best guess was reflux.  And I knew he woke up a few times a night even way back then.
I found out it was very often when Brian went out of town and Carter was freaked out about something and couldn't stay in bed so I relented for the first time ever and let him stay in my room.  I was so tired.  It was 1:30 am!  He promptly fell asleep and then proceeded to wake up with these seizure like reflux things every hour!  He didn't remember anything although he'd talk to me a bit when he could breath again.  So I had him stay in my room for the next 2 nights and wrote down every time he woke up with these episodes.  EVERY HOUR!  Seriously.  How can a kid endure not getting a good nights sleep.  I know by that third night I was a weepy basket case.
So.  His endoscopy and biopsies came back with no evidence of reflux.  On Thursday we have an overnight hospital stay and he is having a different test done to better measure stomach acid and occurances of reflux through the night.   We also have a sleep study set up to look into something other than reflux, but we can't get that in until May.  What is going on with this poor kiddo, I don't know.

Next week, or in a few days, depending on how on the ball I am, I'll post a picture of where they cut my hand open.  Then I'll be investing in lots of Vitamin E and duct tape.

Just kidding on the duct tape.

I'm going to go eat a cookie.  I love cookies.

Have a good week!

Ow!

The surgery is complete.

Now there is a scar where there was a bump.
And a pain where there was no pain.

Ugh.

I'd show you a picture, but I don't feel like going through ALL that hassle.

The nurse did fill me in on some of my ramblings when I was all drugged up for the surgery that I don't remember a bit of.

She said I talked about creme brulee and asked them all what they were making for dinner that night.
She also said I asked them if they had to choose would they pick a cook or a housekeeper.

I sort of remembering telling them that I didn't feel ignored and I guess I wouldn't really have noticed if they had ignored me anyway.

My friend Norma stepped up in a BIG way for me and was my care giver and chauffer for the day.  She said when they brought her into the recovery room I told her it was pretty fun and I'd do it again soon.
She also told me I asked her how long she'd been there and started on a list of questions and comments which ended with another query as to how long she'd been in there.  I guess I went throught the same line of questioning three times before I was supposedly lucid enough to realize I'd already said some of the things I was getting ready to say again.

She took me to get my perscription (which I only took that first day.  It made me feel woozy.) and picked me up some Cadbury creme eggs while we waited.
Then the sweet thing rubbed my back as I puked up my grape juice in a parking lot next to a church on the way home.

So.  Three days later it is NOT fun and maybe I'd ask more questions about just living with Lumpy, making him a part of the family no matter how bulbus and disturbing he may have been to some people.

I am not a trooper.

NOT AT ALL!

Ahhh! Eeeek! Yikes!

My first surgery!  In TWO days.

I have a bump on my hand that's been my special friend for these last 8 years.
It is harmless, but it's gotten bigger and now it is time to say good bye.
 
The Dr. said it will be like trading a headache for a stomach ache.  WHAT?  A bump for a scar.  But if I don't get it gone it could grow, be harder to remove and leave a bigger scar.

I am not showing you a picture because then you wont understand why I am a little sad to see it go.  It's not pretty, in fact it is quite weird and disturbs those of weak constitution but still...
Parting is such sweet sorrow...

AND I've never had surgery before so I'm a little nervous.
I'm not being put to sleep so that's good, I guess...

It's really not a big deal.
Well, it is to me because I do get nervous before I embark on something of which I don't know what to expect.

Peace.  Peeeeace.

Farewell Lumpy.  You were a dear companion.  It was fun grossing out the kids, eh?
Ahhh, yes the fond memories.

whimper.




Also:  Devil's Cub, Armstong floor cleaner - the blue stuff, Cadbury Creme Eggs.
I don't know why the pictures didn't show up in the last post.  I'm not an expert in that area.