Summer Update

Well...it's been several months since I posted anything and then it was only a tiny part of our trip to Washington DC. I couldn't / wouldn't find the time to finish up our trip online. I let other things get in my way.

A lot has happened this summer. I've traveled to two weddings and made the rounds to see our grown married children, grand kids, parents and other family members. Something I'll never get too much of.

I've been working several hours at the hospital and have needed to cover several different areas, due to lack of employees and because of sickness. Oncology, Lab, Emergency, Main Registration, and even the Breast Center are some of the places I've been seen. I'm not sure if Arvil knew all the places that I could be picked up from. Every time he had to come get me, he had to have new instructions on how to find me and where to park. Hopefully things will get back to normal after Christmas, I say Christmas, because we have a gal going on Maternity leave really really soon. So coverage for her will begin too.

As for being sick...Knock on wood, I haven't come down with anything yet. I've been coughed on and around several positive cases of the H1N1 and even around a family member that has/had Strep. But hopefully due to getting seasonal flu shot, H1N1 shot, taking Vitamin C, Echinacea and gargling with Listerine. I'm doing good. Even though I've worked several long hours and have had my schedule changed to get up even earlier then before making less sleep for me. (I still think 4:45 am is to early to get up, yet I love getting off work by 3 PM.)

Besides work, this summer has turned into my journey to find out what can be causing my health to go downhill or up and down...

I've had a Kidney stone lodged in my ureter that was over 7mm, so that was extracted. But then a second Out Patient Procedure of Lithotripsy (shock wave therapy) was done on two more stones, 2mm to 8mm. Which turned up problems with my Blood Pressure and a racing pulse.... SO, for 2 months I was put on different blood pressure pills to bring down my pressure and try to slow my pulse. Things seem to be working there, so now I'm on daily medication. What also came from this whole episode was that I don't have gall bladder problems, but a hiatal hernia, so I'm on a new medication to help my symptoms of heartburn and such.

Next came my problems sleeping. Something that I wanted to get to the bottom of for quite some time. After going in for a polysomnogram and being wired up like a Christmas Tree. I had wires on all of my body parts, ie: Head, forehead, chin, nose, neck, heart/core, legs, ankles, fingers, since they measure, brain waves, eye movement, heart rate and rhythm, blood oxygen saturation levels, chin muscle tension and leg movements, to sleep was an extreme thought, but it did seem to happen. My findings weren't that good. I found out that I had severe sleep apnea, where my brain and breathing are compromised over 50 times an hour. So I'm now on a C-Pap machine at night to help supply oxygen to my brain and keep my air passageways open. I guess breathing isn't too overrated! Arvil says it's done wonders for my snoring, since my mouth has to be closed at all times to keep the air from just coming out my mouth that's forced up my nose. The C-pap does nothing for my looks, but does help make me sleep better and feel great.

Next I went in and had my eyes tested and new glasses were prescribed, hoping that this was the cause for some of my headaches. So far, the headaches haven't totally went away. I guess it's good that my eyes didn't change too much over the past 2 years since I got new glasses, I almost had to add Heart Attack to my medical list, since the price was over $500.00...So what could be next.

Well, Allergies. I'm going in next week to be tested for allergies that I know I have, but not sure what they are. I've had my tongue swell, causing my teeth to rub and make sores on the sides of my tongue, eyes that constantly water and itch, sneezing, shortness of breath and a tickle in my throat are just some of my symptoms. Plus I've been taking allergy medicine everyday for over a year helping to get by, instead of just being seasonal, so I want to know if there's something else I can do to relieve my symptoms. Maybe something I eat? Maybe animals? Maybe Plants, Bushes, Trees? Who knows, hopefully by Christmas I'll have everything worked out, hopefully by then I can focus on exercising to help get my weight down...something that's been climbing for the past 10 months.

I guess It's good to know that there's reasons WHY I'm feeling the way I'm feeling...It just makes me tired thinking about it all my issues...I just want to be turned into a new model of me...without all these growing old issues...At least it's worth wishing about...

Maybe 2010 will be my year for feeling great and wonderful! Here's to good health for you all! Take Care of yourselves...believe me, it's great that I have two medical health insurance policies. I couldn't have done all of this without them.

WASHINGTON DC AND FREDERICKSBERG, VA

Well, it's been a couple weeks since Arvil and I returned home from DC that I had to take a rest from all that we did and concentrate on work and home.

We had a wonderful time sight seeing and spending time together. We went to DC to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversery, (a couple months early) and had the time of our lives. We could have spent another week to see all the things that we didn't fit into our schedule.

We walked, walked, walked, then learned to use the metro train system in our favor instead of walking so much, but we still did walk and walk and walk. Needless to see, we covered a lot of ground and saw some wonderful things. The history came alive for us and though I can't remember everything we saw and heard, little things come back to memory every now and then of what we did. (pictures help jog the memory too)

We started off driving to Spokane to spend the night and fly out eary in the morning. We had an appointment to go through the Spokane temple as we came into town, so after our session, we found our hotel, went out to eat at a wonderful Mexican restrurant, then hit the bed somewhat early to be able to get up and head over to the airport the next day.

We reached Washington DC at about 4:35 pm their time and was met by Brian, my nephew and his mother Linda. Brian was bringing us a car, so we wouldn't have to rent one, when we came to VA to see his family. After driving awhile and seeing the country side of VA, we ended up at the mall where we enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. We enjoyed talking and catching up, along with saying hi to everyone that called Linda to wish her happy Mother's Day. After dinner, Brian set Arvil and I up with his GPS, to head off to the hotel. I can happily say, that we reached our destination without any problems.

Monday, Arvil and I had an appointment to see the Capital Building, but as we reached downtown, we still had an hour or so before our appointment, so as we walked around, we happened to stumble across the Botanical Gardens as they were about to open, so we took the time to go through and see all the different plant life throughout the world. It was amazing at the size of the building and to see how they created the correct enviroment for the plants to thrive and live.

Before going to the capital, we went to the office of one of Hawaii's representatives, in which I received my tickets from, just days before our trip. Mr. Neil Abercrombie. Why I didn't go through our own state of MT, who knows, but Mr. Abercrombie's office answered my email for tickets. We were excorted by his office personel and filled in on his area of service and the time he's been in office. He is now preparing to run for Hawaii's governor. We were amazed at the tunnels that we were taken through to get to the Capital Building. (Not without going through lots of security check points).

The capitol building now has a wonderful new underground visitor center, which we came to via the buildings that house the offices of the House Representatives and Senators. We had to wait for a while for our tour to start, but was amazed at the beauty and size of the building. So many people were able to be moved throughout the building without any problems. The capital contained two statues from each state and the architecture was beautiful. It was a thrill to me, to see how so many different people could come together for one purpose. We live in a great nation.

(This is in the visitors center, The lights hanging from the dome, and the mural painted inside the dome.)

After touring the Capital, we set off to find food, since we were told that the cafateria would be quite costly, there at the capital visitor's center, so off we walked. Needless to say, we walked and walked until we couldn't walk much further when we came to Pot Belly Sandwiches. They were a hit and a very busy place for 2:30 in the afternoon. All I can say is you better have your mind made up when you get in line, since they get you right through. After eatting, we headed off to see the Memorial's. Then headed back to the hotel to rest after a long, long walking day.