AnnieM's Stuff

Lately I've had that old ditty that you used to see posted on pay toilet walls (back when they had pay toilets)..."here I sit broken-hearted, paid to shit, but only farted."

I've been broken-hearted plenty of times in the past two weeks. Those of you who were reading this blog last year are familiar with my bowel "difficulties." I don't know if it's the anesthesia, the pain meds or the fact that they had to remove a section of my bowel (this time around) that has made having a BM such a challenge, but it has been.

Finally! After 13 days (a new record for me) my bowels are moving. The past three days have been particularly trying and exhausting. Something is causing me to have tremendous cramps that won't quit. I told the nurse Friday that it's like menstrual cramps gone horribly wrong.

I have had the heating pad pasted to my abdomen for the last two days. It has helped a bit but the pain meds help even more.

A weird thing I've noticed. A good portion of the upper part of my thigh is numb. I don't know why, and Sandy can't figure it out either. I'm going to mention it to the doctor Wewhen I see her next week. Maybe they hit a nerve or something.
We got about 18 inches of snow here Saturday night. Sandy had to work and she said the trip to the hospital that night was "gnarly." She said it was almost white-out conditions. She made it home all right in the AM. She didn't go right out and run the snowblower as she had planned, she was too tired...so she went to bed. In the afternoon, as she was getting ready to go out to clear the snow, she looks out and sees someone running their snowblower, clearing our driveway. She thought it was Mark, but it turned out to be Mike Sullivan. His wife said that he got in a groove and couldn't stop! It was so nice of him.

We recorded the Survivor finale and didn't watch the conclusion until this AM. I can't believe Russell did not win. We started out hating him and ended up rooting for him to make it all the way. He did play a masterful game and I don't think that what'shername deserved it at all. See, I can't even remember her name! What does that tell you?

Sandy is off with Truman and Rocky...they have their physical therapy sessions today. Rocky broke a nail, so he won't be able to go on the treadmill. Poor guy. She took him to the vet's today to have the nail checked. They cut it off, put stuff on it to keep it from bleeding and he was a perfect patient. When the same thing happened to Truman, she had to muzzle him and wrap him up in a towel so they could work on him!

I realized today that I don't have any stocking stuffers for Sandy...and she realized that she doesn't have any for me...so we are going to leave it that way. I can't go out and get stuff and she doesn't have the time, so we aren't going to stress about it.

I don't know if I'll be able to go to Phil's for Christmas Eve. I'll have to see how I feel. I've been so tired lately. I can sleep until 10:30, come downstairs, fall asleep in the chair around 1pm, go upstairs and take a nap from 4-7 come back downstairs, eat and watch tv...go upstairs to bed at 10 and start the whole thing over again. I am up multiple times in the night, but I fall asleep quite easily after each of these episodes. I'm a sleep machine.

Speaking of sleep machines. Sandy bought a new sound machine to replace our old one which was breaking down. We've had it for about 10 years I'd say...it runs every night. Well, we don't like the "waves" sound on this one...they have sea gull sounds in it...and they don't sound like sea gulls and whatever they are is not relaxing! I prefer the "Sleep Machine" and "Silent Island" programs that I downloaded on my iPhone for a fraction of what she paid for the sound machine! When she's working, or when I'm taking my naps, I put my iPhone on and use that to sleep. Otherwise we play the "waterfall" sound on the sound machine, which to me sounds more like white noise...which I don't mind at all.

That iPhone is wonderful, I'll tell you what! I lie in bed, check my mail, Facebook, read the NY Times, check the weather forecast and play some Bejeweled Blitz as I sip my morning protein drink and wait for the bathroom to warm up before I get out of bed and take my shower. I wonder if they'll come up with an app that turns your iPhone into a handwarmer? I just thought of that one!

Tomorrow is a big day. Taylor is driving Ryan up to the house at 3pm. First time she's driving here. Jean and Frank are coming up too. We'll be having dinner (steak for them, hamburg and gravy for me) and then opening our gifts. I'll see how I feel after that to help me decide about going to Phil's the next night.

Christmas Day will be quiet here. Sandy has not made plans for her folks to come up again. She has to work Christmas night, and it looks like another storm will be hitting then, figures! I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet and sleeping! Maybe Maria can come down for a visit from Phil's on the weekend. That would be nice.

Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. Time to head back to the bathroom where I am no longer "broken-hearted." That's my early Christmas present!

Later....