NaBloPoMo--National Blog Posting Month--you post once a day. Yep, I'm going to try. Yes, it HAS been almost 3 months since I have posted, thanks for noticing. I thought that forcing myself to post every day might actually get me in the routine of posting at all!
Right now, Mike is taking the girls out for a nice walk in the way-too-cool air while I blog and pillage the kids' candy. I consider the pillaging a perk of motherhood! :o) The weather here has been insane--it dropped to 32 degrees last night! Not to mention, we froze our butts off during trick-or-treating. We didn't get out until almost 7pm, so the sun had already set and the temperature had dropped immensely. Being the genius mom that I am, I didn't want to impede the look of the costumes, so we didn't wear coats or hats. Poor Kelly's hands were bright red when we got home! Probably not the smartest thing since she is getting over an ear infection. In my defense, they both had long sleeve shirts on under their costumes and Kelly had pants as well. But let's be realistic. Kelly immediately took off the hat to her costume, so I don't think winter hats will fly here either!
I will add pics later, but I'm off to find more candy!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Housekeeping
Well, not about the "real" housecleaning. Which, of course, I should be doing instead of typing on the computer. Ha! I'm not very good at keeping up with housekeeping or blogging...oh well.
Thanks to those who commented on the donation post. It was a 5-1 vote for St. Jude's. That check has been sent, and I was feeling generous so I sent a little bit to some other charities as well. Honestly, the letters they sent me made me feel guilty. Their ploys worked and I sent them money! I hate just saying no to these charities, but you can't send money to all of them. Sometimes my hubby wants me to stop sending money so that the barrage of requests will end, but I can't do that.
Regarding speech therapy, thank you Kelsey for your comment. We have gone around and around with calling different agencies and talking to different pediatricians, and have gotten absolutely nowhere. I went thru a certain agency and filled out paperwork, and it took forever to receive a response. I got an approval that expired 2-3 days after I received it. When I called, I was told that approval was only for an evaluation anyway. Which, obviously, we had already done. It was just a huge headache. We are blessed that we can take the financial hit and just use the funds in our FSA to reimburse for the therapy. Definitely hurts our finances, but we will still be able to make ends meet.
On the good side, therapy seems to be going well. We go every other week with Ms. L, and Ally aced her first lesson. She listened well, and tried hard. It did surprise me a little that Ms. L didn't understand her very well. I mean, I understand other people not comprehending her words. But this person works with kids with speech delays, so I thought she would be used to it. Anyway, we have "homework" and after working for just 2-3 days, she finally got the right pronounciation of "f", both at the beginning and end of words, ie wolf, elf, fire, four, five.
She was so proud of herself and we were thrilled! Ms. L was happy too! Our new sounds are "s" and "sh" and Ally is having a much harder time. There hasn't been an epiphany yet. The other problem is that she might focus so much on one sound that she forgets the rest of what she is saying! For instance, she had her 4 yr checkup and one of the questions was "What are on your feet?". She focused on the "sh" part of shoes, and forgot to make it plural, which is the skill that the question was looking for. I am praying that the therapy continues to go well, and that we can just get her to a point where she is mostly understood. Then when she enters the public school system, we can work with their programs. At least I think (and hope) so!
Thanks to those who commented on the donation post. It was a 5-1 vote for St. Jude's. That check has been sent, and I was feeling generous so I sent a little bit to some other charities as well. Honestly, the letters they sent me made me feel guilty. Their ploys worked and I sent them money! I hate just saying no to these charities, but you can't send money to all of them. Sometimes my hubby wants me to stop sending money so that the barrage of requests will end, but I can't do that.
Regarding speech therapy, thank you Kelsey for your comment. We have gone around and around with calling different agencies and talking to different pediatricians, and have gotten absolutely nowhere. I went thru a certain agency and filled out paperwork, and it took forever to receive a response. I got an approval that expired 2-3 days after I received it. When I called, I was told that approval was only for an evaluation anyway. Which, obviously, we had already done. It was just a huge headache. We are blessed that we can take the financial hit and just use the funds in our FSA to reimburse for the therapy. Definitely hurts our finances, but we will still be able to make ends meet.
On the good side, therapy seems to be going well. We go every other week with Ms. L, and Ally aced her first lesson. She listened well, and tried hard. It did surprise me a little that Ms. L didn't understand her very well. I mean, I understand other people not comprehending her words. But this person works with kids with speech delays, so I thought she would be used to it. Anyway, we have "homework" and after working for just 2-3 days, she finally got the right pronounciation of "f", both at the beginning and end of words, ie wolf, elf, fire, four, five.
She was so proud of herself and we were thrilled! Ms. L was happy too! Our new sounds are "s" and "sh" and Ally is having a much harder time. There hasn't been an epiphany yet. The other problem is that she might focus so much on one sound that she forgets the rest of what she is saying! For instance, she had her 4 yr checkup and one of the questions was "What are on your feet?". She focused on the "sh" part of shoes, and forgot to make it plural, which is the skill that the question was looking for. I am praying that the therapy continues to go well, and that we can just get her to a point where she is mostly understood. Then when she enters the public school system, we can work with their programs. At least I think (and hope) so!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Ride On Fun…Eco-Style!
Ride On Fun…Eco-Style!
Shared via AddThis
Rockin' Mama just posted this giveaway and it looks like an awesome outdoor toy for Ally. I really hope I win it, because I doubt Mike will let me buy it! :o) This seems fun, and the website even says that adults can try it! Hee hee hee...
I have had some luck winning a few online contests for DVDs--thanks to Sarah at psmomreviews and The Mom Jen . So keep your fingers crossed that we win this! I know, I know...I'm greedy!
Shared via AddThis
Rockin' Mama just posted this giveaway and it looks like an awesome outdoor toy for Ally. I really hope I win it, because I doubt Mike will let me buy it! :o) This seems fun, and the website even says that adults can try it! Hee hee hee...
I have had some luck winning a few online contests for DVDs--thanks to Sarah at psmomreviews and The Mom Jen . So keep your fingers crossed that we win this! I know, I know...I'm greedy!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Doing good
Want to help me help someone else? I am totally stealing this idea from Pseudostoops. Last years, she solicited help in her charitable donations around the holidays. I recently received some requests from a few of the charities that I helped in the past. I try to give small donations to different charities throughout the year.
Well, for some reason, they all sent out requests at the same time and I am inundated! I can't donate THAT much money, especially with money being somewhat tight. I have decided to make a $25 donation to one of these charities. I have whittled it down to my top contenders and want your opinion on who should be the lucky winner. Please check out the worthy charities and leave a comment with your choice.
If I receive 25 comments, I will then send a check for $50 to the top vote-getter. I know it isn't a lot of money, but even a little bit can help! :o)
In no particular order, here are the charities:
International Rescue Committee:
From their website: "We are the International Rescue Committee – a critical global network of first responders, humanitarian relief workers, healthcare providers, educators, community leaders, activists, and volunteers. Working together, we provide access to safety, sanctuary, and sustainable change for millions of people whose lives have been shattered by violence and oppression.
Our mission
Founded in 1933, the IRC is a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation, protection of human rights, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.
Learn more about what we do>
Our work
The IRC is on the ground in 42 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees, and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 24 regional offices in cities across the United States, we help refugees resettle in the U.S. and become self-sufficient."
Doctors Without Borders
From their website: "Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971.
Today, MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols."
The Smile Train
From their website: "Unlike many charities that do many different things, The Smile Train is focused on solving a single problem: cleft lip and palate.
Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly. Aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job. And face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache.
The good news is every single child with a cleft can be helped with surgery that costs as little as $250 and takes as little as 45 minutes.
This is our mission:
-To provide free cleft surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries.
-To provide free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals.
Until there are no more children who need help and we have completely
eradicated the problem of clefts."
**The Smile Train is matching all donations, so it would double.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
From their website: "St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly. St. Jude researchers are published and cited more often in high impact publications than any other private pediatric oncology research institution in America. St. Jude is a place where many doctors send some of their sickest patients and toughest cases. A place where cutting-edge research and revolutionary discoveries happen every day. We've built America's second-largest health-care charity so the science never stops.
All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay."
Ronald McDonald House (Cincinnati)
From their website: "Vision Statement: To offer all the comforts of home to every family with a hospitalized child.
Mission Statement: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati provides a supportive "home away from home" for families and their children receiving medical treatment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, regardless of their ability to pay. Ronald McDonald House Charities also awards grants to local not-for-profit organizations serving children through a portion of donations from McDonald's customers and Global Ronald McDonald House Charities' matching funds."
Southern Poverty Law Center
From their website: "The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded in 1971 as a small civil rights law firm. Today, SPLC is internationally known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups.
Located in Montgomery, Alabama – the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement – the Southern Poverty Law Center was founded by Morris Dees and Joe Levin, two local lawyers who shared a commitment to racial equality. Its first president was civil rights activist Julian Bond.
Throughout its history, SPLC has worked to make the nation's Constitutional ideals a reality. The SPLC legal department fights all forms of discrimination and works to protect society's most vulnerable members, handling innovative cases that few lawyers are willing to take. Over three decades, it has achieved significant legal victories, including landmark Supreme Court decisions and crushing jury verdicts against hate groups.
In 1981, the Southern Poverty Law Center began investigating hate activity in response to a resurgence of groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Today the SPLC Intelligence Project monitors hate groups and tracks extremist activity throughout the U.S. It provides comprehensive updates to law enforcement, the media and the public through its quarterly magazine, Intelligence Report. Staff members regularly conduct training sessions for police, schools, and civil rights and community groups, and they often serve as experts at hearings and conferences."
Personal notes: I have given to all of these charities before, except for Doctors without Borders. The Ronald McDonald house is something I never would have thought of before my (then) 3 week-old baby was hospitalized for 2-3 days. I can only imagine how important that house is for families of children undergoing cancer treatment. Lastly, the SPLC holds a special place in my heart because Morris Dees is one of my role models. In light of what recently happened at the Holocaust Museum, the work of the SPLC is vitally important.
So, what do you think? Leave a comment--I will write the check on July 10th!
Edited: Due to Swistle's help, I have finally received some comments. I will extend this poll until July 13th!
Well, for some reason, they all sent out requests at the same time and I am inundated! I can't donate THAT much money, especially with money being somewhat tight. I have decided to make a $25 donation to one of these charities. I have whittled it down to my top contenders and want your opinion on who should be the lucky winner. Please check out the worthy charities and leave a comment with your choice.
If I receive 25 comments, I will then send a check for $50 to the top vote-getter. I know it isn't a lot of money, but even a little bit can help! :o)
In no particular order, here are the charities:
International Rescue Committee:
From their website: "We are the International Rescue Committee – a critical global network of first responders, humanitarian relief workers, healthcare providers, educators, community leaders, activists, and volunteers. Working together, we provide access to safety, sanctuary, and sustainable change for millions of people whose lives have been shattered by violence and oppression.
Our mission
Founded in 1933, the IRC is a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation, protection of human rights, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.
Learn more about what we do>
Our work
The IRC is on the ground in 42 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees, and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 24 regional offices in cities across the United States, we help refugees resettle in the U.S. and become self-sufficient."
Doctors Without Borders
From their website: "Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971.
Today, MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols."
The Smile Train
From their website: "Unlike many charities that do many different things, The Smile Train is focused on solving a single problem: cleft lip and palate.
Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly. Aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job. And face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache.
The good news is every single child with a cleft can be helped with surgery that costs as little as $250 and takes as little as 45 minutes.
This is our mission:
-To provide free cleft surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries.
-To provide free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals.
Until there are no more children who need help and we have completely
eradicated the problem of clefts."
**The Smile Train is matching all donations, so it would double.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
From their website: "St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly. St. Jude researchers are published and cited more often in high impact publications than any other private pediatric oncology research institution in America. St. Jude is a place where many doctors send some of their sickest patients and toughest cases. A place where cutting-edge research and revolutionary discoveries happen every day. We've built America's second-largest health-care charity so the science never stops.
All patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay."
Ronald McDonald House (Cincinnati)
From their website: "Vision Statement: To offer all the comforts of home to every family with a hospitalized child.
Mission Statement: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati provides a supportive "home away from home" for families and their children receiving medical treatment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, regardless of their ability to pay. Ronald McDonald House Charities also awards grants to local not-for-profit organizations serving children through a portion of donations from McDonald's customers and Global Ronald McDonald House Charities' matching funds."
Southern Poverty Law Center
From their website: "The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded in 1971 as a small civil rights law firm. Today, SPLC is internationally known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups.
Located in Montgomery, Alabama – the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement – the Southern Poverty Law Center was founded by Morris Dees and Joe Levin, two local lawyers who shared a commitment to racial equality. Its first president was civil rights activist Julian Bond.
Throughout its history, SPLC has worked to make the nation's Constitutional ideals a reality. The SPLC legal department fights all forms of discrimination and works to protect society's most vulnerable members, handling innovative cases that few lawyers are willing to take. Over three decades, it has achieved significant legal victories, including landmark Supreme Court decisions and crushing jury verdicts against hate groups.
In 1981, the Southern Poverty Law Center began investigating hate activity in response to a resurgence of groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Today the SPLC Intelligence Project monitors hate groups and tracks extremist activity throughout the U.S. It provides comprehensive updates to law enforcement, the media and the public through its quarterly magazine, Intelligence Report. Staff members regularly conduct training sessions for police, schools, and civil rights and community groups, and they often serve as experts at hearings and conferences."
Personal notes: I have given to all of these charities before, except for Doctors without Borders. The Ronald McDonald house is something I never would have thought of before my (then) 3 week-old baby was hospitalized for 2-3 days. I can only imagine how important that house is for families of children undergoing cancer treatment. Lastly, the SPLC holds a special place in my heart because Morris Dees is one of my role models. In light of what recently happened at the Holocaust Museum, the work of the SPLC is vitally important.
So, what do you think? Leave a comment--I will write the check on July 10th!
Edited: Due to Swistle's help, I have finally received some comments. I will extend this poll until July 13th!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bite the bullet
Today I made a phone call to nail down some information that I have needed for a while. Needless to say, I am not pleased with the information that I received. My oldest, Allison, has a speech delay. We first had her evaluated at the tender age of 15 months, because it seemed as if we were regressing. We heard "mama" and "dada", and then those slowly disappeared. She would point and say "uh" to make her wishes known. No matter how much we tried to encourage her, we got nowhere. So, the pathologist suggested therapy. We wondered how the heck that was going to work with an 18 month old (several months had passed with us on the waiting list).We went, we tried, we thought it was lame. No offense to speech pathologists out there, but it was the same stuff I was doing at home. Plus, she freaked out for the first ten minutes of each session even with me in the room. We originally received a denial from our insurance, which meant we were looking at $150 a session. Guess how long a session is? 50 minutes or so. Outrageous! And to go once a week for who knows how long??? Children's sent the paperwork in, and the insurance company actually covered it, and we only paid our $30 copay for the 3 sessions we went to. But even $30 a week seemed like a lot for one hour of "therapy", that was similar to the activities I did with Ally.
We evaluated our options, and Ally being an only child at that point, we thought that social interaction would prove helpful. We enrolled Ally in a local daycare for 2 mornings a week, so that she could see, play with and hear other kids. It took a while to hear any differences, but I'm sure that the socialization helped immensely. Over the past few years, her speech has taken off, with huge gains. However, there are still major problems. We wound up having her evaluated last spring. Again, therapy was recommended because she tested well below her age range. I was 5 months pregnant or so, and knew that whenever the spot would become available, I would have a newborn to tote as well.
We pursued the whole insurance thing AGAIN, to be told, AGAIN, that it was denied. Here is the kicker: our insurance will only cover speech therapy if it something that you had and then lost. For instance, if I had an accident or stroke, then it would cover rehabilitative speech therapy for me. But it will NOT cover my child to get the (IMO) necessary help. We pulled out Mike's policy and began to examine it thoroughly. Want to know what our insurance will cover? Abortion. I don't want to get into the Roe v. Wade debate, but it surprises and angers me that the policy covers such a procedure for an office co-pay (and I believe it makes no restrictions on it) while denying my child therapy that could dramatically help her in school. I'm not asking to send her to special "intelligence enhancing" classes or anything else.
But I'm her mom, and I still don't understand all that she says. Strangers understand maybe half of what she says. It is far beyond the normal toddler/preschooler speech issues.
With the birth of Kelly, we never found the time to take Ally for therapy. Once things settled down, I called to schedule. Big surprise--it had been a year, so we had to have her evaluated for a third time. Yet another big surprise--she still needed therapy, even though she is so much better than she was before. In fact, she scored above average in intelligence; but well below in actual articulation. The report says she has a "severe articulation disorder".
But once again, insurance has denied it. The therapist had mentioned a grant that Children's had received, to help in situations like ours. When I called to see where we were on the waiting list, I was informed that money was used immediately and the therapist should never have mentioned it. I was pretty upset, because we were really hopeful that could help with the cost. I don't know if we are looking at 5, 10 or more sessions at today's price of $170-180 a session. With Mike having to take a pay cut and the added expense of another child, it is going to be a huge hit to our budget. Don't get me wrong, we will do whatever we need to for her well-being and education. But I think that insurance should cover at least part of it. We are calling today to pay and schedule her therapy. I just hope it works!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Too much to handle
I have lots of topics that I want to blog about, but honestly, don't have the energy. I know, its my typical lament.
One thing in particular is weighing me down right now. These are just random thoughts, so bear with me. I came back from a nice dinner with the fam last Sunday and checked my Facebook page (see earlier post about addiction). Anyway, a really good friend of mine from high school had posted some shocking news. She is undergoing her first round of chemo for breast cancer this week. The plan is 4 rounds of chemo and then a mastectomy. She had the first round of chemo yesterday and it made her "tired, woozy and nauseous".
J is my age, almost 32, and only been married for 2 years. No kids yet. I don't know if that will ever happen now, because of the chemo and drugs. She is a vet, so she has knowledge in the medical field, which I think might make things worse. She knows what all of this means; she knows the true stats; she knows how horrible some of the meds can be. However, she also has the avenues to get the most up-to-date information and options.
J was a really good friend in jr high and high school. We have been sporadic about keeping in touch since (a couple of emails a year) and I haven't seen her in several years--she lives several states away.
J is hands-down the smartest person I know. Absolute genius. Graduated either first or second in our class of 400+ students. Was told sophomore year by our chemistry teacher that she should be teaching the class, not taking it!
I hoped that the next surprising news that she would be posting would be that she and B were expecting a baby. Certainly wasn't expecting this news, as I'm sure J wasn't either. Her journal states that all of this has happened since she woke up on May 9th with a swollen breast.
She has always been fit, and taken really good care of herself. Not that cancer gives a crap about that, but it leads my thoughts down the road..."if it can happen to her, well, what about me." Me--overweight, sugar overloading, no veggie eating, no exercising me. I think that whenever someone in your family or circle of friends is facing something like this, it causes you to evaluate your own life and mortality. It doesn't seem possible that this can be happening to her. I know the stats, and I know that women younger than us are diagnosed as well. While I have had family members diagnosed with cancer, J is my first friend to face it. And she is the first person in my life (I think) to deal with breast cancer specifically.
It also reminds me of something I dealt with in 2002. I found a small lump in my breast in the fall, and immediately went to the dr. She sent me for a mammogram (lovely experience at the age of 25) and ultimately an ultrasound. I remember going on a trip with my hubby while waiting for the results, and wondering if I would ever travel again. We made a specific trip to Disneyland because I had never been there, and I wasn't sure if I ever would again. I wondered if I would have children. What else would I miss? Luckily, it turned out to be a fibroid and nothing cancerous. But to even start down that road is terrifying.
I don't know what stage J's cancer is, and I don't know what her rates of survival are. My God, that feels macabre to put that in writing. I have never met her husband, but I'm sure she picked a good one and I hope that he is taking incredible care of her. All I know is that she is one of the strongest people that I know and I am praying for her every day. If you are the praying sort, please include J in your prayers.
One thing in particular is weighing me down right now. These are just random thoughts, so bear with me. I came back from a nice dinner with the fam last Sunday and checked my Facebook page (see earlier post about addiction). Anyway, a really good friend of mine from high school had posted some shocking news. She is undergoing her first round of chemo for breast cancer this week. The plan is 4 rounds of chemo and then a mastectomy. She had the first round of chemo yesterday and it made her "tired, woozy and nauseous".
J is my age, almost 32, and only been married for 2 years. No kids yet. I don't know if that will ever happen now, because of the chemo and drugs. She is a vet, so she has knowledge in the medical field, which I think might make things worse. She knows what all of this means; she knows the true stats; she knows how horrible some of the meds can be. However, she also has the avenues to get the most up-to-date information and options.
J was a really good friend in jr high and high school. We have been sporadic about keeping in touch since (a couple of emails a year) and I haven't seen her in several years--she lives several states away.
J is hands-down the smartest person I know. Absolute genius. Graduated either first or second in our class of 400+ students. Was told sophomore year by our chemistry teacher that she should be teaching the class, not taking it!
I hoped that the next surprising news that she would be posting would be that she and B were expecting a baby. Certainly wasn't expecting this news, as I'm sure J wasn't either. Her journal states that all of this has happened since she woke up on May 9th with a swollen breast.
She has always been fit, and taken really good care of herself. Not that cancer gives a crap about that, but it leads my thoughts down the road..."if it can happen to her, well, what about me." Me--overweight, sugar overloading, no veggie eating, no exercising me. I think that whenever someone in your family or circle of friends is facing something like this, it causes you to evaluate your own life and mortality. It doesn't seem possible that this can be happening to her. I know the stats, and I know that women younger than us are diagnosed as well. While I have had family members diagnosed with cancer, J is my first friend to face it. And she is the first person in my life (I think) to deal with breast cancer specifically.
It also reminds me of something I dealt with in 2002. I found a small lump in my breast in the fall, and immediately went to the dr. She sent me for a mammogram (lovely experience at the age of 25) and ultimately an ultrasound. I remember going on a trip with my hubby while waiting for the results, and wondering if I would ever travel again. We made a specific trip to Disneyland because I had never been there, and I wasn't sure if I ever would again. I wondered if I would have children. What else would I miss? Luckily, it turned out to be a fibroid and nothing cancerous. But to even start down that road is terrifying.
I don't know what stage J's cancer is, and I don't know what her rates of survival are. My God, that feels macabre to put that in writing. I have never met her husband, but I'm sure she picked a good one and I hope that he is taking incredible care of her. All I know is that she is one of the strongest people that I know and I am praying for her every day. If you are the praying sort, please include J in your prayers.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Addicted
At Christmas time, my high school friends were over for pizza. Two of them started talking about Facebook, and I rolled my eyes. My husband and I are very technologically "behind" or delayed. We got a cell phone only for emergencies; we don't text; we have no clue how to operate an ipod or mp3 player. So, the whole idea of myspace or facebook seemed like something we would not be interested in. I was curious, so I signed up a few days later. And the trouble began...
I first friended my best friend Kia, who was the one who originally mentioned the site. I was able to "cyberstalk" some of the people that I went to high school with! Umm...if that is creepy, I'm just joking! :o) It was neat to see what people are up to, what they look like now, who they married, and all kinds of good stuff. I found old boyfriends/crushes--which was weird. Let's just say that its a good thing life turned out the way it did! I found people that I haven't seen in 10-14 years. And the status updates are lots of fun--you just post important (or mundane) information about your day. It is kind of like a high school reunion without all the pressure. One of the exciting things for me has been that several of my hs friends have had babies in the last 2 months, so I get to see BRAND NEW BABY pics! Yay!
Lots of games to play. You have the academic ones, like "word challenge" and "twirl". I am all about the spelling games. You also have the infamous "mafia wars" and a new one for me--"farm town"--which seemed lame but sucked me in regardless. The quizzes are hysterical as well. Anything from "what muppet character are you" to "what famous literary character are you" to "what your birth number says about you". I saw one today--"what star trek character are you"--I will have to share that one with Mike. On an ordinary day, I login to my email and then facebook. I am constantly checking for new updates and/or new messages. I wish I had time to actually visit these people. It has definitely helped with the feeling of isolation that I have being a SAHM. But...it might be getting a little out of hand.
Mike thinks that I am addicted to the internet--reading blogs, facebook, ebay and even twitter. Hey--if you are on twitter, find me at sarylynn. Though to be completely honest with you, I don't quite get twitter. I joined during the Ashton Kutcher/CNN battle. Since I am a dork, who wants to guess which one I follow????
Well, I think I have to go check my updates and tend to my farm. Just kidding--Kelly is awake and wanting her mama!
I first friended my best friend Kia, who was the one who originally mentioned the site. I was able to "cyberstalk" some of the people that I went to high school with! Umm...if that is creepy, I'm just joking! :o) It was neat to see what people are up to, what they look like now, who they married, and all kinds of good stuff. I found old boyfriends/crushes--which was weird. Let's just say that its a good thing life turned out the way it did! I found people that I haven't seen in 10-14 years. And the status updates are lots of fun--you just post important (or mundane) information about your day. It is kind of like a high school reunion without all the pressure. One of the exciting things for me has been that several of my hs friends have had babies in the last 2 months, so I get to see BRAND NEW BABY pics! Yay!
Lots of games to play. You have the academic ones, like "word challenge" and "twirl". I am all about the spelling games. You also have the infamous "mafia wars" and a new one for me--"farm town"--which seemed lame but sucked me in regardless. The quizzes are hysterical as well. Anything from "what muppet character are you" to "what famous literary character are you" to "what your birth number says about you". I saw one today--"what star trek character are you"--I will have to share that one with Mike. On an ordinary day, I login to my email and then facebook. I am constantly checking for new updates and/or new messages. I wish I had time to actually visit these people. It has definitely helped with the feeling of isolation that I have being a SAHM. But...it might be getting a little out of hand.
Mike thinks that I am addicted to the internet--reading blogs, facebook, ebay and even twitter. Hey--if you are on twitter, find me at sarylynn. Though to be completely honest with you, I don't quite get twitter. I joined during the Ashton Kutcher/CNN battle. Since I am a dork, who wants to guess which one I follow????
Well, I think I have to go check my updates and tend to my farm. Just kidding--Kelly is awake and wanting her mama!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)