No change.......bummer!

I wish I could give you some positive news, but that will have to wait for another day, if ever.  I am going to a Cardiologist on Friday, so maybe he will have some answers, although no one thinks this is a heart issue except for my legs and feet being swollen all the time.  Thanks for all your input.  You have no idea how comforting your comments were and how much I learned from some of your own ailments.  I had no idea how many of you have issues that are mysteries.  Seems to me that years ago, doctors were a bit brighter!  

How do you like my birthday orchid?  Now, if I can keep it alive, it'll be a miracle.  My daughter walked in with it on Sunday and I was blown away.  

And this was a few weeks ago when I needed to address and stamp envelopes plus stuff the envelopes.  Too bad my granddaughter doesn't like chapter books yet.  Of course, sometimes I think she's a little snot anyway because her mother doesn't even encourage her........you can tell who runs that household!!

And here is the basket that my friend made for me.  My yarn looks perfect in it on the dining room table.

I did finish a pair of socks (finally).  It's just a plain pair, but I needed to get in the grove first.  It's been months since I've knit.

And, of course, I did send out some envelopes, although who knows if my granddaughter even got them?  Not much gratitude in that family, unfortunately!

And last but not least, here is a picture of my husband with my friend's 7 week old litter of 5 Havenese puppies.  She came over Monday for a nice visit.  I think my husband would have kept all 5 if I would have given the word.  Toby wasn't too happy.  He sat on my friend's lap the whole time she was here.

So, until next time, I hope you are all doing well and having some fun.  I continue to visit doctors and have therapists come in the house. Yippee!  Hey, at least I can knit again.  That's a plus!

I am a Medical Mystery, I guess

If you have kept up with my former posts, you know that I have been having some medical issues.  Since I last visited with you, I have been in two hospitals, one rehab center, and have had numerous tests including 6 MRIs, 1 CT scan, 2 chest x-rays, an ECHO, 2 EMGs, I have no idea how many blood draws, (except I can tell you that they took 18 vials of blood in two days once,) a Spinal Tap, and finally a Bone Marrow draw and they still have no idea what is wrong with me.  I have had teams of doctors look at my case, led by 2 Associate professors of the Medical College of Wisconsin with their entourage following them.  Right now, I can only walk with a walker and even then, it is difficult.  I can no longer drive and haven't since December 2nd.  I feel like a recluse and cripple (which I guess I am).  Obviously, some nerves are being affected in my body, but by what, who knows?  They've got me on Gabapentin, but I know that is only a pain medicine for nerve pain and will help only so much.  Funny thing is that on November 17th I was just fine.......going to Target, grocery shopping and getting ready for the holidays.  Needless to say, I am not a happy girl!!!

On another note, my (up til now) wonderful MacBook Air, won't let me import photos, so even if I had made anything, I wouldn't be able to show you.  Since I've been home, I'm working on a pair of socks that I ripped apart when I left.  For some reason, I guess I couldn't concentrate on them and they were full of mistakes.  I did buy some really pretty yarn (pictures still in my camera) that I so wanted to show you......but I decided that since the former ripped apart socks were easy and shouldn't really take forever I'd do them first and try to get this goofy computer to work on the photo issue.  Hubby is going to try to help today with the Apple genius' too.  (Only they don't know it yet.  lol)

Only good thing that happened this past month is that I lost 8 more lbs making it a total of 63 lbs lost so far since last April 6th.  I think I'll go for 17 more and then be done.  By then I should be as skinny as my aerobic teacher sister and yoga teaching daughter.  lol

Hope you all are well and have had a better month than me.

I'm not having fun yet

This past Christmas, my daughter gave me a gift certificate of a monthly bunch of tulips.  I love tulips!  They're so springy and fresh looking and pink are usually my favorite .  I had to show you the first bunch!  

I haven't been doing so well lately.  No one, so far, has gotten to the bottom of my ailments.  And let me tell you, after 3 MRI's, 1 ECHO, 1 EMG, 1 Ultra Sound, 2 Chest X-RAYS, numerous PT appointments, 1 bottle of painkillers, and 1 Pulmonary function Test to go on Thursday, I am not a happy girl.  I can hardly balance on either leg, even with a walker and I am bored out of my mind!  Sitting on a chair, or couch for any more than an hour at a time is close to impossible and the only time I feel any relief at all is right after I pop two painkillers and am ready to crawl into bed for the night.   I am beside myself.

I started two pair of socks since this whole mess happened, but it's not only hard to sit for any period of time to concentrate, but also to stay focused on the pattern itself.  I can't even count how many mistakes I've already made.

I bought some more yarn thinking I could start another pair, but I seen to be screwing that one up too.  I seem to be losing it all over!

That's the news with me.  Not fun!  I go through my Flickr account, looking at stuff I made a few years ago and can hardly believe I made all that stuff.  I am much a bum now!

Anyway, I wanted you to know that I'm still alive and will let you know what the scoop is once I know.  I truly wish that you all are well!  Until I know something.......

Hopefully this is the week for answers

I'm really lax in this blogging stuff lately!  Probably because I don't really go anywhere other than the doctor and/or Physical therapy (neither of which is really doing anything for me).  Monday hopefully will tell the tale.  I have 3 tests ordered.........an ECHO, an EMG and a EKG with two follow-up appointments with specialists, for the following week.  As of now, I'm still hobbling around with a walker dragging my oxygen tubing.  There is only one good thing coming from this........my husband is learning how to cook.  I even had him making a meatloaf the other day (if you can believe).  I figure he would start with something he liked to eat.  lol

Thought you might like to see our Christmas card for this year........we actually took this picture of our Toby last Christmas and saved it all this time.  We tried doing it again this year, but after about 48 pictures, we gave up......either they were blurry, or he was looking the wrong way.  It's kind of like taking pictures of kids.....the good shots are few and far between!

And then here is an envelope I sent to my sweet niece......I have only a few to go and all my books for her will be gone.  She's so advanced that the books are getting too fat to send through the mail.

And here are some pictures of our holiday decorations:

So, 2015 bites the dust!  If/when I get back in shape, I can start being creative again.....I so miss it!  Happy and healthy 2016 to all of you!

It's been an interesting few weeks....

Well, guess who just got out of the hospital last Friday?  Remember I was telling you that my back went "out"?  Well, apparently it went out more than I thought.  By a week ago Sunday I was only able to walk with a walker (thanks to the inheritance of dead relatives).  My daughter suggested that I contact a chiropractor, so on Monday I called a guy my husband used a few years ago and made two appointments.  One for Monday afternoon and one for Tuesday afternoon.  My husband had to drive me.  By the time the second one was over, I thought I was going to die from pain, so called my "real" doctor upon getting home and made an appointment for 6:45 that night.  He put me directly in the hospital to control the pain and hopefully get to the bottom of things.  I was immediately put on IV painkillers and oxygen because my levels were so low and had an MRI scheduled for the next day...(Wednesday).  My doctor told me on Wednesday morning (yes, he still does hospital visits...rare these days, I understand), that we'd see what happens there before going on.  Wednesday evening the back surgeon for the whole hospital comes in to see me, tells me there is no bulging disk, or pinched nerve and that he wished more 69 year old ladies would have the spines I have.  (Wonderful!!!  I thought that was going to be the answer).  My doctor immediately ordered a chest x-ray because my oxygen levels were playing such tricks.........(even though I have had COPD for the past 10 years, I've not needed oxygen until that point, and not especially since I lost over 45 lbs. since April 6th.)  He thought maybe a tumor developed and was moving......but, NO!  The next day I had an ultrasound to check for PAD........an artery disease, but nothing conclusive came from that either, but it still might be the answer, who knows?  My fanny is completely numb, my legs hurt, my feet are swollen and I came home with oxygen, and painkillers....UGH!  I DO have physical therapy scheduled....my first appointment is Friday, and was told NOT to go back to the chiropractor.  In the meantime, my doctor will give me an ECHO and EKG tomorrow because it could be my heart............holy cow!  I guess time will tell, but what a crummy time of year to have this happen.  Thankfully, my cookies are all baked and sorted, my house is decorated, the presents have all been wrapped, and I am now in a stupor trying to teach my husband to grocery shop and cook on a gas stove.......double ugh!

Anyway, that's my news of woe!  I did send out these envelopes to my sweet niece:

The 12 different kinds of cookies for 2015:

And, (up until last Monday night) the socks I have finished:

Those red ones are for ME!  All the gift socks have been made.....thank God!

So, that's my news.......Not fun by any stretch of the imagination, believe me!  I can't use a little portable oxygen tank yet because of the amount of "air" I need when moving around......and those big ones are close to 50 lbs.  Try puling one of those while walking with a walker and trying not to trip on the tubing......it's almost laughable, believe me!

I sure hope your past few weeks have been better than mine.  One of these days, I hope to knit again, which is more than my neighbor can say.  She is my knitting buddy, but fell on Friday and broke her wrist!  On top of that her blood pressure is off the charts......always something, I guess, huh?