Monday, April 29, 2013

Covenant Book Review


Covenant is a spiritual masterpiece that paints a vivid picture of God’s covenant with His children and the covenants we are supposed to have in our spirit-bound relationships. Within the pages of this book you will find that these couples were committed and dedicated to God and to each other. However, you will also see how the jealousy or covetousness of the relationships of others can cause us to do things that are not pleasing to God. Inez also demonstrated how we do pay the penalty for our sin, as sin does separate us from God. She in turn shows us how God can restore the repented sinner and how He will take what Satan meant for bad and make it all good. The highlight of this story was Damaris and Preston. This couple had waited on God to send them the one God had prepared for them. The relationship between the two of them portrays the relationship that every spiritual being would love to have with their mate/good thing! Their love flowed from heart to heart because it was ordained by God. This couple waited on God in every aspect of their relationship. Inez’s Covenant is an absolute must read!

Link to purchase: 

http://tinyurl.com/8y6n79a

Review by: Author Sandra Peterson-Lott, Temporary Power Outages

Monday, April 22, 2013

Day 4 was NO Day 3 - Where's the Meds?


Days 1-3 seemed to be tolerable as far as pain goes (perhaps due to the fact that I did not miss a dose of oxy). The major issue is the squirts of liquid that are attempting to shoot into my nose. Other than that, day 3 was uneventful. Still not eating, but hey ... I can stand to miss a meal or 9 (LOL).

I had not been sleeping well, as lying down is uncomfortable due to breathing issues. Last night, I get to sleep waking periodically to sip on water. I even slid down, a bit, to get a bit more comfy. What a BAD choice. I missed my pain meds, last night and I woke up in some crazy pain. My tongue, my gums, my jaw, my ears, my throat and my neck hurt. There was swelling and so much discomfort that I was annoyed that I chose to sleep over taking the meds. I will not make that mistake again, tonight.

The back of my throat looks like a dandelion convention. My uvula is swollen and looks attached to my tonsil bed. I didn't know what all that 'white' stuff was ... did some reading and it appears to be scabbing.

I took pain meds without thought of coating stomach, because my mouth felt so horrible. My temperature got up to 100 degrees, today and I just felt like crap. After 3 doses of meds, the pain seems to have gotten better. I am now back to my itching tolerable pain self ... smiling. OH yeah, my voice just sounds like I am congested. Doesn't hurt to talk, like some people have expressed. I feel fatigued, but that could be from the autoimmune issues. Ice packs, iced drinks and pain meds are my friends.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Day Two - The Calm Before the Storm?


To be honest, I am having a pretty good day; pain-wise. There is a great deal of swelling and scabbing and phlegm - my mouth is dry (mainly because I am  unable to breathe through my nose due to sinus inflammation), but the pain is more than tolerable. Again, the main issue - dry mouth.

My family taunted me with the smell of fresh baked cookies and other food related dainties, but I am not overly hungry or craving, at this time. Things taste thick and bland, like butter. I am still having trouble with juice simply flowing down my throat - it seems to want to take a detour through my nose. I am attributing that to my insanely swollen and out of place uvula. A low-grade fever is toying with me and confusing me (1200mg of Clindamycin daily). Lucy ran out to the store and got me some children's liquid tylenol which is hard to get down because of swelling and rerouting that happens.  I have been able to talk, not loud, but without too much pain. I am grateful for the oxycodone, except for the incessant itching that has not been alleviated with my strongest allergy medicine. I am itching from crown of my head to the soles of my feet, but no pain.

Funny moment
Grandson: Bubby, is your throat still soreded?
Me: It  isn't sore, but there are still some things that need to be taken care of before it is all better.
Grandson: Well, you still sound weird. Lucy, can you give something to bubby to make her voice all better?
Lucy: Like what, Pudty?
Grandson: Well, you can cook her something.
He believes food will fix everything - LOL

Friday, April 19, 2013

Day One - On a Scale From 1-10, I Give it a 5


Today was the BIG day. It began at 4:25am. I arrived at MCV Medical Center's Gateway Bldg at 5:45am (15 minutes later than expected). I checked in, Lucy received her pager (#186) and Larry called me to the back. He took my weight (OMG, I really need this Ice Diet) and led me to Room A9. I received my instructions, put on the lovely outfit that had been provided au gratis for the occasion, and Larry left the room. There were 6 washcloth size wipes that were to be used to 'wash' my neck, torso, abdomen, arms, legs and buttocks (this is a precautionary measure against infection). They even had a large heart-shaped bandage that the nurse, later, carefully placed at the small of my back (butt-top). She advised this was to protect the delicate skin during the tonsillectomy. The nurse asked a tremendous amount of health questions - the resident had me to sign my consent (again) and let me know to expect great pain for the next 2 weeks - the anesthesiologist went over how they would put me to sleep and keep me asleep (also, stating that I had so much scar tissue on my tonsils due to the chronic inflammation) and Dr. Reiter presented me with a beautiful blue bracelet proclaiming to everyone that I was to have a bilateral tonsillectomy, this morning. His bracelet complemented the green name tag and red allergy bands. What an ensemble which went wonderfully with the blue patterned hospital gown and the gray and white hospital footies, along with the blue bonnet! I looked a hot mess! LOL

The procedure lasted a little over an hour, I was given some Dilaudid and ice chips, Lucy was advised that the tonsil cyst was infected and would be biopsied and I was sent on my way between 11:00am and noon. We spent time getting my medication, liquid Oxycodone for pain (14 day supply) and an antibiotic - Clindamycin HCL 150mg (7 day supply, 8 pills a day) to stave off a post-operative infection. There were further instructions to lie down, today, and lift nothing heavier than a gallon of milk for the first 10 days.

Ice packs on my neck, a small pitcher filled with ice and water - the pain never went away, even with the high powered narcotic, but it has been tolerable. I rate today, 5 out of 10.

A Little Funny from My 3 Year Old Grandson -
Grandson: Lucy was right, you can't talk. What happened to your voice?
Me: The doctor took out my tonsils
Grandson: Well, the doctor should take them back in because your voice sounds weird. And Lucy can't hear you because she doesn't want to keep listening to your weirdness.
Me: What?
Grandson: She doesn't want to listen to you. When is that doctor going to give you your voice back, Bubby?

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Day Zero - The Day Before My Tonsillectomy


Well, I have decided to make some use of my recovery time and journal my experience of having a tonsillectomy at 45 years of age. I know this is not common, however, I have had more trouble than most with my tonsils down through the years -- plagued by tonsillitis, strep throat and tonsil stones -- lately, a large tonsil cyst that has been on my left tonsil since July 2012. I have been officially diagnosed as having 'hypertrophic tonsils and adenoids (laymen terms - tonsils that are always enlarged).

My surgery is at 7:30am, tomorrow morning (Fri., 4/19/13) with Dr. Reiter of MCV Medical Center in Richmond, VA. I hear he is one of the best. I will be his first patient of the day ... 'Yay, for me' ... which means that I have to arrive at the hospital at 5:30am! Not looking forward to that, at all. I know people think that I will be sedated, so it should not be too bad. For anyone who has been sedated, they can tell you that you do not feel like you have been asleep. It must be something with being forced to sleep and the body is not fully at rest. I don't really know ... I just know that I, usually, still feel tired after surgery.

One thing that I am looking forward to ... losing a bit of weight. I have officially dubbed this time of recovery, "The Ice Diet." We have approximately 40 lbs of ice designated for the first week -- to be used for cold beverages and smoothies, which I should be sipping during every waking moment (to avoid dehydration and other complications).

So, as soon as I am lucid and comfortably (and I use this term, lightly) tucked into my bed. I will let you know how I feel and any other details from the surgery. Do not worry, I will not be too graphic (unless asked).