My little corner of the world

So, I had my spine surgery, two weeks ago today.  The surgeon said everything looked good, and now I'm on that lengthy road to healing.  I want to write about that, but not just yet.  I'm still processing things that happened, but I will be sharing more on that soon.

But for today, I just had a big victory.  I walked down to the corner and back...YAY!  It took me 10 minutes to do it (I told Steve the other day that I am moving like Mrs. ah-Whiggins).  But that's okay.  Slow and steady is my new mantra.

Our yard is bursting with spring flowers and beautiful colors, and that's really what I wanted to share today.  Here are some pictures of how it looks this morning.

I hope you are having a very good day in your little corner of the world.

More later --

Happy Spring!

Today is a beautiful day here in Memphis, Tennessee.  The temperature is in the low 70s, there is very little humidity, and a nice breeze is steadily blowing.  So why am I stuck in the house today, doing spring cleaning?  I guess I am trying (no, I KNOW I am trying) to be as ready as I possibly can be for my surgery.  It is scheduled for a week from Monday, and I know I'll be down for the count as far as housework is concerned for quite some time, which is kind of freaking me out. So ...I do a little, then sit a little, then do a little more, and so on.  I long for the day when I can do what I want to do without pain and numbness, and fervently hope that that day comes.  

I have been juicing for the past week.  I watched a couple of food documentaries a couple weeks ago on Netflix, and they really struck a chord with me.  Food Matters and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  They were both very interesting and very motivating.  I had an ancient Cuisinart juicer (and I do mean ancient), but it just couldn't really handle the greens and hard veggies.  So my dearest got me a brand new juicer from his favorite go-to place, Amazon.  I love it!  It's a Breville, and it's super fast and perfect for my needs.  So, I'm juicing things like kale, spinach, romaine, celery, carrots, bell peppers, apples, pears, oranges, and pineapples in various combinations.  And finding them all very tasty.

More later --

Timing is everything

Okay, my spine surgery was to have been tomorrow.  It has been cancelled, though, for the time being, while this cyst heals up. 

It's been quite a roller coaster ride getting to this point, and I have had a lot of anxiety about what was going to happen when, but I think I'm in a pretty good place right now.  I had to have a little "come to Jesus" meeting with myself the other night.  I was basically just freaking out, worrying about the surgery being cancelled, worrying that the surgery would go ahead but that infection would somehow mess up the surgery, worrying that maybe it just wasn't meant to be and that's why all these roadblocks were here in the first place.  And on and on ... ad nauseum.   

So I sort of shook myself and made myself think all those crazy thoughts all the way through to the end.  What if surgery is cancelled?  Well ... then it will be rescheduled.  My surgeon is not going to do anything that will jeopardize a successful result for me.  He knows what he is doing, and I must rest in that knowledge and trust him. 

On the referral of my spine surgeon, I saw a general surgeon this week about the cyst.  He opened it up and has given me strict instructions on how to treat it at home the next two weeks, so that it will heal from the inside out.

The good news is, it already feels better.  And, it's started to itch, which I am taking as a good sign, a sign that the healing process has begun. 

I'm really tired of talking about the back stuff, though, so I'm going to take a break from that, until there is something definitive to tell.

On another, much more positive note, it is a beautiful day today in Memphis, Tennessee.  We've had a lot of cold, gray days lately, so to see the sun shining through my blinds is a good thing.  A very good thing. 

On my drive to work, I pass a house with tons of daffodils.  So I stopped one day this week to take a couple quick pictures.  They, of course, do not do justice to how pretty the flowers really are, but here they are, just to brighten your day.

Just breathe ...

Well, the back surgery drama continues...heaven help us all. 

I have a very large, very infected sebaceous cyst right in the center of the small of my back.  This is not good.  The surgeon will not operate as long as there is any infection whatsoever. I am on day 4 of 10 of a second round of antibiotics and, so far, it's not cleared up like I would wish.  I think that the surgery may well be delayed.

I am anxious to get the surgery done as scheduled, but at the same time, I don't want to have it done if the timing is not right and the conditions are not right.

So I wait ........ and breathe.  For this self-admitted control freak, that is a challenge. 

One of those nights

It's almost 5 in the morning and I've been up for almost two hours.  Bleah...I hate nights like this. 

So, to redeem the time at least a little, I thought I'd post a quick update.  First of all (and most importantly), my insurance company approved the spinal fusion surgery.  I am relieved to have it settled and am looking forward to getting through it to the other side and being much, much improved.

Another note of interest.  We had white stuff coming down as I drove home yesterday.  Not snow, exactly.  More like sleet, I guess.  It bounced off the windows and car.  Anyway, when I got home I snapped a picture of the house from the driveway, just to prove that we had, indeed, had some white stuff. 

You have to look at this picture very closely, particularly the roof of the house.  Then look again.  See it?  Ha ha, welcome to winter in Memphis, Tennessee!
 

Monday recap

So, it's been a tough week in some ways.  I am in limbo over my pending back surgery, because my lovely insurance company has not yet decided they are going to approve it.  It weighs heavily on my mind, and I just want it to all be settled, to be able to have the surgery, and go about the process of healing and improving my life's quality.  If you are a praying person, I would appreciate prayers to that end.

Today, though, I have been given a gift, so to speak.  The law firm I work for gives President's Day as one of its holidays!  So...  My big plans include a trip to the dentist (woo hoo) and plenty of cuddling with Hobbes and Chance.  The almost-constant numbness in my legs prevents me from doing a lot of other things I might really enjoy. 

So, I will enjoy my quiet and peaceful house today.  I'll have another cup of coffee.

Then I'll go check on Chance, snoozing in the study.

Oops, looks like I woke him up.  Now he's ready to go back outside.

Hobbes is ready to play this morning, as always.

And as for me, I think I'll light a candle and read a good book today.  Hope your Monday is pleasant, where ever you find yourself. 

Chance and Hobbes

My baby went to the groomer today. 

He came home sporting a red kerchief with hearts. 

Of course, Hobbes had to get in the picture too.