It has been a while an UPDATE is in order...

We have been busy this week....my best friend from NY has been visiting and she is leaving tomorrow.

She came to 3 doctor appointments with me this week.

First the eye doctor...needed to go being diabetic. What a nice doc she was..took her time and explained everything to Dawn and I. She said my eyesight is good. But being diabetic you have to worry about retinapothy. I do not have that but the blood vessels around the retina were inflamed and that was because my sugars were fluctuated. There is a name for it but can not remember. So going to a retina specialist July 5th and then back to her July 17th.

The next day off to the pain specialist in the morning. I knew there was not much he can do after the facet block did not work. His recommendation was to see a neurosurgeon.

Then in the afternoon we were off to the orthopedist. I was not expecting much since we had not look with injections. So he too recommended I see a neurosurgeon as well. He gave me some names, of course none were on the insurance. So faxed him alist and he recommended too. So my good friend Audree will come with me on July 18th at 9:30 am!

That is about it for now.....next week check up with the cardiologist on the 5th!

GRAINS of GRATITUDE...

It has been a very interesting week...went from feeling pain in my back to absolute agony on Thurs and Fri and back to pain I was feeling before the procedure last Wednesday...not sure what will go on. But going to the pain doc and orthopedist on Wednesday!

My best friend came in from NY yesterday and we have not see each other in almost 2 years, since she got married. It was so good to see her. It was like she was just here. Accept Aviva is much more loving with her, like being her shadow. We just hung out last night had chinese and watched a Lifetime TV movie....like old times. Now she took Aviva to the pool because my back is in bad shape from going to the grocery store.

Aviva had another great week at camp. She comes home so happy and you would think tired but not my child. She is very excited to go to the Marlins baseball game Thursday and then she gets to stay late at camp.

I am happy for Spider because he is getting more gigs and he loves his music. It helps him relax since he is working so hard. We are hoping we can see him play on Friday playing down on the intercoastal in Fort Lauderdale.

And what can I say about Aviva...she has been such a big help the past few weeks, like my little nurse. I am so proud of her. She really is a sweet and sensitive child. And she just loves to help whether it be me or anyone.

SO freaking frustrated.........

So we dropped my Jeep off at the dealer to be fixed (only can be fixed with a dealer) because it is the body control module. So Spider dealt with the woman, but we had not heard from her Thursday after he left 2 messages. SO I decided to call and guess what she called back with in 5 minutes. Saying the piece is on order and will be in Friday. Well I called Friday afternoon...guess what no piece. She said for sure will be in Saturday.

So just hung up with Ronnie from the service dept..since Theresa is off today. Went to check on the Jeep for me and said the piece now will not be in till Tuesday. I said is it coming from China...there is FedEx or something. So I am fuming but not with him. I said leave a message for Theresa to call me ASAP on Monday morning.

Is $748 plus tax to fix. Well, she is going to have to do something...either a discount or a loaner car for 2 days. My best friend is coming to town and I need my vehicle.

UGH..this is not helping my back at all.

NOT doing GOOD, Not doing GOOD at ALL...

Well, today was the final attempt to do an injection with a nerve block to see if it would help my back and take away the pain.

SO get there and not feeling hot...well my sugar is 50 and feel miserable and very sweaty. So they get me settled in, meaning into the lovely hospital gown and get the IV going. ANd then give me dextrose to help my sugars. Got up to 111.

They finally take me back and get everything going for the procedure. He gave me a nerve block and hoping that worked.

After the procedure, my sugar was 88 and after apple juice for some reason went to 75. But was feeling all right. Just wanted to get home.

Got home about 2:45 pm and and can feel the area where my pain from getting tight. And then knew that was not a good sign. As the day went on the pain got worse to what it was before the procedure.

I cannot believe this, all I want is some relief. It hurts walking, standing and now feel a bit more when I sit. It is not fair. I want some RELIEF!!!!!!!!! I am not asking much!!!

They call to follow up tomorrow and will tell them. I have an appointment next week with the pain doc and the orthopedist on the same day. I NEED something that is going to work.

GRAINS of GRATITUDE....

Thank you Christine for starting me out on the Grains of Gratitude.....

Aviva has loved the first week of camp. Hard to believe she finished her first week. They had a field trip to Laser Quest. She swims twice a day and does lots of great activities. She loves going and being with her friends. She say she cannot pick just one ctivity because she loves them all.

Spider and Aviva went to Walmart together yesterday for me...gave them a list and they were gone almost 2 hours. But they had fun and she got McDonalds so not bad for her. I enjoyed the quiet time.

My friends have been great this week. Just helping me out by taking Aviva to and from camp. Making it easier for me so I do not have to walk much.

I am thankful for Spider keeping the house clean and doing all the dishes (since the dishwasher broke). Makes it easier on me when he knows I cannot do it.

And we are very thankful that we can celebrate Father's Day with Spider...we are not doing much but we are together and that is most important. He will probably take Aviva out to the pool or Chuck E Cheese. First he went off to the gym!!

Great news for Spider...he picked up 2 gigs per weekend...,so know he will have 3 per weekend. Will definitely help us do some stuff around the house. And we can go see him play since it is at a restaurant down on the water in Fort Lauderdale. Hoping to go next wek. We love to see him play!

UPDATE from the follow-up at the PAIN DOC...

I am going back next Wednesday for one more procedure.

They will insert an block with iodine using a little camera (fluroscope) to see it gets in the joints. If I have no pain after 6 to 8 hours from walking or standing, then they know it works. I will go back and they will burn off the nerve endings. I sure hope that is it because after that it is surgery. I do not want to resort to that.

Successful first day of CAMP.............

(she wore blue but then ate breakfast and got i on her so we changed to the pink top!!!!!!)

First day of camp went perfectly according to Aviva.

She was up at 6:45 am...we did not leave till 8:20 am. She was so excited. She rated it a perfect 10. She has 12 girls in her bunk and she knows 4 of them. Not bad at all.

I was worried she would not eat lunch because she is so picky. Well, she ate and had mac and cheese!!!!!!!!

They swam twice, once for instruction and once for fun. Played soccer and went to arts and crafts.

Wednesday they have their first field trip to Laser Quest!!

GRAINS of GRATITUDE

My grains of gratitude for this week.....thank you to Christine.





*Yesterday as a family we went to a birthday party for a friend of Aviva's...they go all out every year. This year was again Disney but all about water. And had the rock climbing wall too. They had a spread of food like you would not believe and the cake and table were set up really nice. It was nice to the 3 of us. Aviva had a blast. We did not say till the end was late already but they were having fireworks.

*On Friday we had Aviva's camp orientation, she is going to be in the Sparks. And she already knows 4 other girls in her group. So we got meet the cousnelors and found out they go on a trip every week. They swim twice a day once with instruction. Wow what fun she is going to have. It starts tomorrow.

*I have to say that Aviva has been great since I had my epidural on Thursday....she has made the best nurse!! She loves to help. She will get my ice pack and put it on my back or go for things I need. But unfortunately yesterday was torture for me. My back was hurting very bad...it throbs. The walking and standing at the party did not help me at all. Was hoping for some relief. Going to Neurologist Tuesday and follow-up with pain Doc Thursday so hoping for some answers.

*Again have to be thankful to Spider for working so hard, taking care of me and the house. We would be lost with out him. It is a good thing he likes to clean,.,...he cooks and irons too!!!

*And I am very thankful to my friends who have helped me out since it is hard without family here. I wish my dad was down here, I am hoping they still are going to aim for next year because it would be great for Aviva to have grandpa here.

I am definitely getting old...

check out all these doctor appointments:

June 12: Neurologist

June 14: Follow up with the pain doctor

June 22: Consult for Lap Band

June 26: Opthomalogist

June 27: Follow up with Orthopedist

July 5: Cardiologist

July 10: Endocrinologist

I believe that is it unless one doc wants to send me for testing.

I had the epidural yesterday and thought would feel some relief by now but walking today at the orientation for Aviva's camp really hurt and standing and talking definitely was not pleasant. The nurse said could take up to 3 days so hoping it works for me. If not, I am not sure. Endo does not like how it affects my blood sugar....yesterday was a high of 370 today the high got to 478.

I will be bringing my MRI results to the Neurologist to see what he has to say and to discuss nerve testing on legs and the neuropathy of wrists and the carpel tunnel syndrome.

HATE is EVIL...

I could not sleep tonight so I watched Oprah from Wednesday. And I am sitting here in tears...She had stories of hate....one was a young gay man between to almost death as a teenager who ended up working for the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Who ran into the man who did the beating. He was white aryan who changed his ways and works at the Museum as well. And how they forgave each other and now lecture together.

But the story that left me in tears was the story of 2 women. One was a holocaust survivor and one was the daughter of a Nazi General who killed thousands of Jews. The Jewish woman worked in Monica's father's house for 20 months. Monika found out that Helen was alive and wrote her letter. She wanted to ask for forgiveness. They met in Krakow, Poland for the first time. I think I had tears and cried through the whole piece.

Monica learned how dangerous her father was from the movie Schindler's List and it touched home for me.

See my great great uncle was on Schindler's List but we did not find out till the movie came out. By that time my uncle was in his 90's and did not get out much...so one of is great niece's wrote a letter to Steven Speilberg about him. Well, he sent a representative to my uncle's house with the movie so he can watch it.

They went back to the home were Helen spent 20 months in the house as this evil man's slave starting at the age of 14. She would hear shots from the house this man was shooting innocent people in the streets just because they were Jews. Helen said she felt like she was there all those years ago...

At the end she said Hate is evil and we need to work past and forgive. With out forgiveness there will be always be hate.

And then they did a test at the end on how you respond to words and different colors of people......The Prejudice Test.

An Oprah that should not be missed.

I am a BIT worried.....

I went today to have my epidural. I was a bit nervous because I want it to work so badly.

I am so tired of being in PAIN, it affects everything I do in my life. I do not shop anymore because it hurts so much by the time I am done that I am in tears. I worry about when I go places will it be a long walk and can I do it. Or I have Spider come and he drops me off in front and then parks the car. I want my independence back like before.

So I am home from the epidural for a few hours now, and while getting dinner for Aviva ready my back is in the same pain when standing as yesterday. I pray to G-d that this works. The idea of surgery is scary to me. I have no family around to help out. I do have good friends and so grateful for that.

I just hope by the morning I am feeling some relief.

How AVIVA'S mind works....

Last night we were watching an awards show on ABC. Aviva was playing her game and watching that was until Beyonce came on singing her hit Irreplaceable. Aviva got up to sing and dance along to the song (she is like her daddy when it comes to remembering lyrics),

Well, the part came up to the left to the left. So all the fans were waving their hands to the left along with Beyonce. So Aviva goes mommy they are not waving to the left they are going to the right (very good observing on her part). I explained to her that yes they were going to the left but on camera it looks to the right. She goes NO MOMMY they are going to the right. So again tried to explain and she looked and me and said they are just wrong.

Gave me a good laugh how she was following along!!

How about some MAXI and JEFFREY.....

that is Maxi Priest and Jeffrey Osbourne....we went to an outdoor concert and had a blast on Saturday. We love Maxi, back in 1992 when Spider was in Japan he played on the same show as Maxi. So he went backstage to say hi!!! They had some local artists perform and Valerie Tyson was great and full of energy!! The DJ with Maxi Priest is Red Fox we saw him perform 14 years ago with Shaggy before Shaggy was big!!













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GRAINS of GRATITUDE.........

Thank you Christine......for the Grains....

What a great week in our household.....we officially have a KINDERGARTEN GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!! It is hard to believe that Aviva finished...she is gettingbig way to f ast for our liking. We are so very proud of her. Hard to believe how far she has come.

Yesterday we were lucky to spendthe ay as a family and went to a concert outdoors...we got to see Maxi Priest and Jeffrey Osbourne as well as a few local artists. We had a great time (will be posting video clips soon). Aviva fell asleep even with all that loud music.

Finally the doctors are listening to me and i will get my epidural on Thursday. That is as long as I have permission from the endocrinologist......because of how high my sugars got the last itme. Hoping for some relief.

I was able to make all my Disney Dining reservations for our trip in November. Got all I wanted and the times. Even booked Aviva into the Sandcastle Club while Spider and I go for dinner for our anniversary at the Californa Grill.....now hoping to get a window seat so we can see the fireworks from Wishes while we eat. It is for our 11 anniversary.

We have a week off before camp starts...looking forward to sleeping in, and spending time with Aviva! We go Friday for camp orientation. We already know she is a bunk with at least 3 of her friends.

Aviva's end of the year party.......