Explanation

When I posted the video below it wouldn’t let me post anything else, so I wanted to write an explanation.

We usually have to get our lab, Raini’s, anal glands drained every few months.  Well, right now we just don’t have the money to take her to the vet and Ryan was complaining this morning about Raini “scooting” on his bedroom carpet and leaving a mark.  (Wow, I don’t know WHY that would bother him!  lol )  I said we can’t spend the money on a vet right now, so Ryan said he would do it for $8.  I told him I’d only pay him if he could get them to drain.  “I can do it!” he says, like the man he’s becoming.

He got the gloves and took her out and told me “Hey, Mom, take a picture!”.  I thought a video would be funnier.  And it was.  His reaction when doing it – or TRYING to do it! – is hilarious.  You can see his sense of humor.

Hope it didn’t gross you out and that it gave you a laugh instead.

Trying to make it

to the end of the year without any more IV’s.  It hasn’t been that long since I was on IV’s, but I already feel I need them again.

I’ve been very SOB (short of breath, for you newbies to CF!  I don’t use bad language, even in acronyms.), tiring so easily, sinuses bad, coughing an awful lot.  I wondering how much the weather has to do with it, but still…when I cough it’s hard to get my breath back.  If I take a deep breath, it’s hard to expel back out.

But since we haven’t paid off the last round of IV’s and we’ve been hit so badly financially this year, I don’t want to start IV’s very soon.  And I’d hate to be on them over the holidays because the meds always make me feel horrible and I need all of the energy I can get for the holidays.

I’m trying to rest a lot each day and use my O2 around the house.  Which is why my house looks pretty pathetic today…and my husband is coming home tonight.  I need to get off here and get to work because he doesn’t have an understanding of these things.

Thanks for listening!

Sleep tight…on Select

With everything else going on, I’ve been forgetting to tell you about how it’s going with the new bed.

We got our Select Comfort Sleep Number bed several weeks ago for a 30 day trial and we love it.  Well, I do.  Jim isn’t home enough to make the adjustment, but I think he likes it.

It’s been ages since I slept this well!  I don’t wake up all through the night in pain and discomfort, flopping around like a fish searching for water.

If you are in the market for a new bed, definitely give the Select Comfort a try. If you are going to order one, mention my name – I have a customer number to give you if you email me – and I’ll get $50 for referring you.  Definitely could use that money right now.  (We are paying off 3 crowns at the dentist that were done this past month, to the offkey tune of $2400.  Yuk!   And that’s just adding on to the thousands we already were in debt due to all of the medical bills.  Anyway, I digress.)

Just wanted to let you know since you all were acting as my Advice Board!  lol

Aaaah, sleep!  It’s not underrated!

Considering going private

I have met so many great people through my blog.  When you aren’t out and about much, that’s a big thing.  It’s my connection with the world.

Other than my many doctor appointments, you all are my social life!  Don’t say “That’s sad!” or you’re saying you all aren’t important and you are!

That said, I am thinking about taking my blog Private.  The only reason is this:  I made the mistake of using all of our first names in my blog.  And I have discovered that Ryan’s birth-mother is looking for him/us and I’m afraid she could find us through this blog.  Ryan has been having some problems recently and this is definitely not a good time for his birth-mother to make contact with him.

I haven’t been blogging as much lately because I’ve been trying to figure out what to do, but the wisest thing is to go Private.  I hope I won’t lose a lot of you.

Please let me know if you would like to follow my blog Privately and send me an email with your email address.  I won’t make the change until the end of the month, for those who don’t check blogs very frequently.

Oh, BOB!!!!

I haven’t been very good at writing on my blog lately and I’m very behind on reading blogs.  I follow so many of them that it takes a while to go through them all, especially if I leave comments.  Right now I am about 3 days behind so that’s…possibly impossible for me to catch up on.  But I will try.

The computer hasn’t been free for me to use very much lately and then when I can use it Ryan is wanting to talk to me.  I’m trying to be happy that my teenager wants to talk to me, but sometimes I wish I could be alone at the computer to concentrate.  Then, when I’m on the computer I’m trying to respond to emails, catch up on FB, catch up on the CF boards and encourage people there.  I wasn’t visiting there as often as I should and since Lauren died last week I’ve been trying to do better.  She was wonderful at encouraging people and I want to follow her example.

We’ve been going through some heavy and difficult stuff recently, but I’m not able to say more.  It’s just been…quite difficult and stressful.

I don’t have much time right now, but I thought I’d share a funny story featuring my goofy son.  He always is making me laugh.  His imagination knows no limits.

I had made some tuna salad and left the container on the counter while I was eating at the table.  Ryan walked into the room and over to the counter.

Ryan: “BOB!  Is that YOU?  Oh, BOB!  What has she done to you!”

Me:  What??

Ryan:  “Oh, Bob, I can’t believe you’re gone!  I can’t believe it’s come to this!”

He’s talking to the tuna fish, pretending he was on close terms with the tuna!

Then he get’s a fork out and takes a bite of “Bob”.

Guess he recovered from his grief quickly.

Favorite Lauren story

Lauren had a great sense of humor.  This was one of my favorite stories that she told.  I’ve laughed over it with several families members in the 2 years since she wrote it.

Something's Fishy

This afternoon I stopped at the pet store to pick up some food for my critters. I decided it was time to add some new fish to my aquarium. I purchased three blood fin tetras. The helpful salesclerk put them in the plastic baggie, squirted in some air and tied the top tightly with one of those itty bitty rubber bands that never seem to let go once they're on.
I proceeded to the counter to pay for my new fish. From there I drove to Target to get a b-day present for my sister. I didn't plan on being in there very long, but I didn't want to just leave the fish in the car. That seemed cruel. So I put the whole thing into my purse, which is one of those big tote-bag style numbers. What could it hurt, right?
As I was walking down the aisle of CDs looking for an Aerosmith album, I noticed that my hip felt moist. I was wearing a bulky sweater and a jacket, so I just assumed I was getting sweaty. Coming around the corner was a customer in one of those go-kart things, so I pulled my big purse closer to my body to allow her to pass. That's when I saw it--a small but steady trickle of water coming from the corner of my purse.
My initial thought was to abandon my shopping, run to the car and get home quickly before I had 3 tiny casualties on my hands (or, in my purse, rather.) That wouldn't solve the problem of the leaking bag, and I'd only end up making my car seat wet in the process. My next thought was to get a bucket or travel mug to put them in, but that seemed gross. The cup didn't seem like a bad idea, however.
I hot-footed it to the little concession area in the store and asked the clerk for just an empty cup with a lid. When she gave me a quizzical look I almost said "my water broke" which I'm sure would have made her look at me even more strangely. I held up the ever-shriveling bag that contained the fish and said "Please, I need a big cup! My fish are leaking!" She handed it over and pointed toward the counter where the lids, straws and napkins were kept.
Placing the cup on a table, I quickly but carefully struggled to pull that little rubber band off the baggie. Stupid rubber band! Finally, it came loose and I poured my 3 frightened fishies into the cup. As I fastened the lid securely in place, I noticed a woman watching me with quite an odd expression. She was probably wondering if she had in fact just witnessed a young woman pouring 3 fish into a soda cup. Her mouth was agape, so I decided to give her a good show. I grabbed a straw, unwrapped it, slid it into the cup and pretended to take a sip.
"Beats Starbucks any day," I commented as I walked past her.
She's probably still sitting there, eyes and mouth wider than a codfish.
Lauren