Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Cautiously Freaking out with Joy

I don't write about Retinitis Pigmentosa much in my blog. I've mentioned it a few times. Retinitis Pigmentosa has been a long time demon in my family. We have a form of RP that is X-linked and recessive - this means that it's passed on by the females to the males of the family.

My father has RP - he is totally blind. He started going blind in his 20s, but had night blindness when he was younger. My cousin has RP. My nephew has RP. I am a known carrier of RP. Please don't throw stones asking me why I had children - there is nothing that you can say to me that I haven't said to myself. My son has a 50/50 chance of having RP (I could pass on my mom's RP-free gene or my dad's gene). Since Bubba was born - I have been living with this dread that he may have RP. When he was little I was told to have him tested when he was about 10. Bubba is just about to turn 8.

Today, Prissy had an eye appointment and they had this really slick retinal scanner. They scanned her eyes and they were perfect. The eye doctor showed me pictures of a retina with RP - he showed me the early, medium and advanced stages. I asked him if he would scan Bubba's retinas.

He did...

At this point - Bubba's retinas are totally and completely healthy... This doesn't mean that he doesn't have RP. It could be there and start presenting itself when he is older. However, that is not the norm in our family. Our family has very early symptoms. The fact that Bubba has perfect retinas right now makes me want to sob in relief... I'm not a terribly emotional person - I don't cry. I honestly cannot remember the last time I cried. But, I have been so close to crying since I've heard this news. I'm feeling so much hope that he does not have RP. This is SUCH a good sign.

My baby may not go blind - that weight just became so much lighter.

So, I'm cautiously freaking out with joy.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Email

We got my 10 year old one of those little laptops for Christmas. It's a tiny thing - but it does everything she needs it to do - and it's just her size.

Anyway, she's been emailing me. I got an email while I was at work today and it just made my day. However, I have to be careful when I'm writing her while I'm at work. I tend to just sign my name Cindy. I have to actually get in the Mommy mode and sign it:

Love you, Mom

Not a sentiment that I use much at work. But, it makes my heart happy.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Raining Again

It's raining again. It's supposed to rain for the next several days. I'm having a very stressful work/life balance week.

Monday: I have to get my allergy shots sometime in the morning. Then, the kids have a minimum day (they get out at 12:20) and then Prissy has an appointment with her allergist (different than my allergist - damn insurance.) Then, we have to go to baton (but at least that's after work.)

Tuesday: Yay - I should actually be able to work all day. Bubba has baseball at 4:30 which hubby is taking him to. But, I'm sure it will be raining.

Wednesday: I'm already so stressed out about Wednesday it's keeping me up at night. I have to pick up my son and the boy across the street at 1:20. I'm attending a big-wig meeting from 11 to 12:30. It takes me about 45 - 50 mins to get home. If the meeting doesn't run over, I should be able to make it - BARELY! I'm the one "running" the meeting - projecting the presentations - etc. So, it's sort of important that I'm there. I'm totally freaked out. Totally.freaked.out... I'm sure it will be just fine. But, holy shit... Then, at 2:30 - I have to take Jade to the eye doctor. She doesn't get out until 2:20. While the place is close, it's not THAT close. She usually doesn't get home until 2:30. I'm writing her a note so she can leave 10 minutes early. YIKES!

Thursday: This day should be ok. I hope. I think. Maybe I should check the calendar.

Friday: Prissy has an award luncheon at 11:45. I'm thinking I'll just work from home. Otherwise, I'd have to drive in, only to leave at 10:45am. Doesn't make any sense. But, we'll see.

So - you see the fun of work/life balance? I thought it would be easier as the kids got older - but it's gotten nothing but more difficult.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Weather

My moods are directly linked to the weather. The past two weeks or so have been rainy and gloomy and gross. And so have I. The weather over the last few days has been perfect. Cool, sunny, slight breeze. And - so have I...

However, the weather today was so nice that I had trouble concentrating. I was just feeling happy and flitty and sunny and happy. Just like the weather...

This has ALWAYS been the case with me. When I lived in Kansas - the weather was COLD!!!! And so was I... Living in CA - it just gets rainy and gloomy and tired in the winter... Just like me... :D

But, the sun always peeks through, just when I need it to.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Contacts

Prissy is now 10 years old - however, I think she might be 40 in a 10 year old's body. She is what many have dubbed her as an "old soul." Prissy has had glasses for several years now. And one of her friends recently got contacts. So, she has shown some interest. Yikes! She seems so young for contacts. However, I can see why they would ease so many things - like baton, and softball and soccer and just being. She wouldn't have glasses sliding down her face and getting in the way.

I got glasses when I was in the 4th grade. And I got contacts when I was in the 7th grade. They were the hard kind that were forever uncomfortable. I only wore them for a year or two. Then, I just decided not to wear my glasses except in class or at a muscial thing (needed my glasses to see the music.) I realized I really needed glasses when I drove. Then, it just became a pain to put them on and take them off all the time.

I tried contacts several more times as I got older. Allergies always got the best of me. I had laser surgery a few years ago - best.freaking.thing.ever... I even had to have one eye "retouched." I still cannot say enough positive things about it. Hubby had it too. I totally don't need glasses at all. I spent 20+ years with glasses and/or contacts. It's still strange to think of myself as not needing some sort of corrective lenses.

Anyway, Prissy is going to a new eye doctor next week. We'll ask about contacts. I think she is responsible enough to handle them. And if not - she'll just go back to glasses and we'll try again later. I'm excited about her new eye doctor - they have all sorts of neato technology. Her old eye doctor was fine - but it felt a bit like walking back into 1950s whenever we would have an appointment.

It's funny - this is the one area that I feel so intertwined with my daughter. This is something that we share. Glasses and Twilight - that's what a mother daughter relationship is built on. :)

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Password?

Wow - it's been so long since I've posted I was afraid I had forgotten my password (not really.)

I've just had nothing to post about. In my previous job - there was always something or someone that was always cracking me up. While I like my current job (a good boss makes all the difference) the same level of personal "intensity" isn't there.

So - my days are rather dull - and not much to post about.

My new favorite show is "Dead Like Me." I'm just now watching the first season and totally digging it. Hubby isn't as big of a fan, but for whatever reason it has sucked me in entirely. Also, I'm watching this season's Biggest Loser - which I just love. Last season they were all backstabby bitches (except for Michelle) - this season it's like love fest. Everyone is so nice. I don't want to see anyone go home. I'm totally digging the vibe - but, the venom does give it some excitement.

Also - I'm really addicted to Virtual Villagers 3. Such a stupid MSN game that I can't seem to stop playing. I was finally able to figure out how to fish - so now I have lots of food.

See - what did I tell you? Exciting or what?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Moldy foods?

Wow - I have not been great on posting. I need to fix that. Without my blog365 I have been rather bad at posting.

Anyway - remember my weird allergic reaction back in December? I thought it was the crab I ate (I typed crap by accident. haha.) Anyway, I have had a LOT of allergy testing in the last few weeks and it turns out that I'm mildly allergic to corn and brewers yeast. But, no food that would cause an allergic reaction.

However, I'm VERY.MUCH.BADLY.TERRIBLY allergic to mold. Mold? Isn't everyone allergic to mold? I guess the answer to that is no. I was told that mold allergies are worse when it's raining and worse at night. It's always been the joke that I'm allergic to the moon. However, it turns out that it's almost true.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of moldy foods. And I was told to avoid them. I was given a list.

Here is just a snippet of list:

  • cheese
  • beer
  • wine
  • yeasty breads
  • anything with vinegar (catsup, mustard, mayo, salad dressings) You'd actually be surprised at how much food has vinegar in it. Specifically condiments!
  • soy sauce
  • Sausage and hot dogs
  • mushrooms
  • sour cream, buttermilk, cottage cheese
  • anything pickled
  • meats and fish over 24 hours old (I think this means thawed over 24 hours?)

Anyway, the doc things that because it was raining, I had a lot of soy sauce, rolls with mayo, and likely old crab - and a lot of it, that it just pushed me over my threshold of mold acceptance. Ok... Well, I suppose that is some sort of explanation.

So...

The issue is - I love almost all of the foods in that list. I'm not sure if I can remove all of that from my diet. No cheese? I live on cheese.

Alright - so, while I haven't been perfect, I have cut back the "moldy" foods significantly. I have almost elminated cheese. And oddly enough - I have not had any symptoms of a chronic issue that I have. I have taken all sorts of medications to try to combat it - and it was the removal of cheese that has helped. It's only been a few days - so we'll see how things are in a few weeks. But, still...

Oh yeah, and I have to get allergy shots.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Update

Wow -

Has it really been since Thursday since I've updated? Gross. Well, I'm not feeling super - I have a nasty infection. Got antibiotics for it today. Hopefully I will be feeling LOTS better by tomorrow.

Things here are trucking along - our front yard looks exactly the same as is it does in that picture - which really actually pisses me off. They pushed us and rushed us and prodded us to get going immediately. They said it would take a week. That picture in my previous was taken 1 week after they started.

Ok, granted - it rained on Friday. I get that. But, the contractor said they would work on Saturday - when it wasn't raining. They didn't. And today was a beautiful sunny day - and they didn't work. Tomorrow is planned to be sunny too. However - the real rains start on Wednesday - and don't look like they are going to stop for awhile. So, instead of working today and tomorrow to get the concrete set - we will likely be living with this muddy crap of a front yard for the next several weeks.

Wow - I'm crankier than I thought. I'm just going to go read my blogs and go to bed. Hopefully my antibiotics will kick in and I'll be feeling better by tomorrow.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

My Front Yard Today




This was what my front yard looked like today... Pretty no?

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Words

Tomorrow I'm going to use the words epic and ferocious. If I remember.


Tonight at the dinner table -

Me: Bubba you need a cup for baseball this year, they won't let you catch one without one.

Prissy (singing to the tune of "Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins): "Just a cup full of sugar makes the medicine go down!!!"

Family staring at Prissy like she is nuts... (pun intended)

Bubba: "Prissy - a cup goes on a boy's privates so it doesn't get hurt!"

Family: cracks up into hysterics.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Mommy Needs a Pill

I saw this on another blog today and just thought that they were hilarious. So, I thought that I would post it here - enjoy.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Bleh...

It's already 10pm... I should go to bed.... I'm feeling rather bleh... I hope that I'm not coming down with something. I've been relatively healthy (minus the allergy issues) for quite a while. But, I just feel run down, for no particular reason. So, I'm guessing that my body is gearing up for a cold of some sort. But, I could be wrong.

I suppose I should do a book update.

I read Wally Lamb's most recent book, "The Hour I First Believed." It was a good book (not as good as his other ones, in my opinion.) But it felt like there were 3 separate books trapped in there. It didn't feel at all tied in at the end. But, it was still a good read - dark, like all of his books.

I've also recently read Traveling Light by Katrina Kittle. It is about a woman who goes and helps her brother who is dying of AIDS. I very much enjoyed the characters in this book. It got a bit "preachy" at times. But, the characters were real and I feel like I could be friends with them. At one part of the book, I teared up (which is totally and completely weird for me.) However, if you are at all homophobic - this book is not for you. Or maybe it is - I don't know.

I've recently read a couple of James Patterson's books - 1st to Die and 2nd Chance. These are fluffy mysteries. Good for mind numbing relaxation.

Currently I'm reading Driving Sideways by Jess Riley and I'm liking it so far. It's about a woman who had a kidney transplant and has decided to go on a road trip. Sounds boring - but I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Grossly Busy

I haven't posted in a few days. Whew! Longest break in a long time.

Friday, Prissy and I headed to San Jose - she had a baton competition on Saturday and we went up a day early. I have been reunited with a high school friend on facebook (I'm really enjoying facebook - never thought that I'd be one of "THOSE" people.) Anyway, she lives in the East Bay and lives just a few miles from the hotel we stayed in. So, my friend (who shares the same first name as me), her husband and her two adorable little girls came and had dinner with Prissy and I. It was really wonderful to see her and to catch up a little bit. I hope we can get together again soon.

Saturday was my birthday and Prissy's baton competition. Prissy did very well and twirled wonderfully. But, it was a very long day - and it was a long drive home. After we got home, we went out to eat and then came home and opened presents. My family spoiled me like always. It was really nice.

I got to sleep in today, which was needed. Well, I got to sleep in until the pharmacy called me and said that they were going to send back my perscription because it had been a week since I had ordered it. It was ironic, because I didn't order it, I just gave them the little sheet and asked them to put it in their computer so I could call it in when we needed it. But, they filled it anyway - and then called and woke me up on my one sleep in day. Nice... But, I suppose it was nice that they called before reshelving the medication.

Anyway, I'm still feeling tired. We watched the Superbowl. Well, Hubby watched the superbowl, I watched the commercials. Bubba played on the computer and Prissy played on my iPhone. I read in-between commercials.