ER's and Earthquakes.... Oh My!

Hello again! I really had good intentions of writing a blog last week, I even started one. I had a title, "When life throws you lemons...", and I even had at least one to three sentences done. Knowing me though, it was more likely one really long run on sentence. I am horrible with those. =/

Okay now before I get myself side tracked, let me try to relay the events of last week in a nutshell. Did you read the title of this blog post? Okay then, that is last week in a nutshell. :| Wow! I feel so much better finally getting that done and off my chest! =) 

Okay, okay.. I am just kidding, I actually feel awful, well not as awful as I did last week, but still in a good amount of pain, which is still awful. Who likes pain? (Please do not answer that, because I really do not want to know :P, rhetorical question people, rhetorical). 

Anyhow back to my story...

Last Monday started off with a bang! (Not really that just sounded good.) 

In reality, Monday started off good; it was a busy morning; an appointment, errands, shopping and teens to entertain. In other words a typical MLK Day (no school) for the teens, more work for the mother. I can't remember if I mentioned that I was a mom, well if not, the cat is out of the bag now. Yes I am a proud mother, to one beautiful, bright, intelligent, and talented, humorist, and full of sass, but genuinely a good heart & soul, teenage girl. Congratulations! (That wasn't laid out too thick was it? Proud mama here.) You will be hearing, I mean reading, a lot more about my daughter in the future. She is after all one of the major epicenters of my world. 

Now not to get off tangent...

What happened next, I am really not sure about? It was now Monday evening, I finally had some quiet time to myself that late afternoon, so I took the opportunity to play some minecraft and read my book. Sounds relaxing right? No bounding off tall buildings and saving the world, the alter ego of all moms across the globe, amen, or is that just me? 

When my daughter got back home from spending time with our close friends, (they are really more like family to us), I was extremely eager to hear all about her first "driving" lesson and was very grateful she also had dinner and even brought some home for me, (yay! no cooking that night!) That was very sweet of my good friends, to take her driving, then feed her, and send extra my way, but hey that's what good friends and family are for, am I right? 

Everything thing appeared to be going good, a productive morning, relaxing afternoon, and enjoyable evening listening to my daughter's story while I ate my delicious dinner, then I had to stand up to go rinse my dish and fork. Not an Olympic sport, not for one dish and a fork at least, and that is when I felt the most intensely sharp pain in my sciatica and left hip, shooting all the way down my outer thigh, throbbing my knee cap, continuing on down my calf to torture my outer side of my foot and then shoot across the bottom to end at my big toe. Ouch! 

Let’s just say, that dish and fork did not get rinsed and I was pretty much retired for the rest of the evening.

Fast forward to Thursday. By now the pain had not gone away, in fact it was getting worse, much, much, more worse. Even after all the regular attempts of easing and relieving the pain that normally would work. My leg was now going on bouts of spasms, it was like each and every individual muscle, on my left side from my hip all the way down to my toes, were taking turns at, "getting jiggy wit it," even my left butt cheek was trying to twerk, and I despise twerking with a passion! 

On top of this, my leg was very weak and my knee almost buckled on several occasions, which would have caused a not very pleasant fall to the floor. Through all of this, my daughter had been home with me, sick with a cold. She would look upon me with sad eyes full of pity and kept telling me how sad I looked. Especially when I would crawl, like to the bathroom, because it just hurt too much to walk. She really was trying not to laugh at me, but I was even laughing at myself. I am sure the whole thing was hilarious to watch, my waddle of a walk on a gimpy leg, when I could manage to walk, saying things like, ouch, ooch, yabba dabba doo, wow this really hurts, erm mah gawsh, and even using lamaze breathing, and so forth. We are a family that really tries not to swear at all, and believe me, if it weren't for the Holy Ghost, I am sure I would have utilized my entire explicit vocabulary and then some. That is how much it hurt. 

My daughter finally talked me into calling the Dr.'s office, where upon I did get to speak with a nurse who told me if I could not make it to the office before closing that day to go to the ER. I of course was unable to drive myself anywhere and began making calls to some of my friends in town to see who was available for a ride. Thankfully one of my good friends was able to drive me to the ER that evening and she was even able to help me the next day with some errands I needed to get done. =)

After a few hours in the waiting room, I was finally able to get seen. I was put into a "shared" room, (with curtains as the only divider for the rest of the ER). I had to change into one of those fashionable backless robes and then get hooked up to some machines, which is the standard procedure, still grimacing in pain because of course I had to wait to see a Dr. before I could take anything. 

Again we had to wait, for close up to another hour or so before the ER Dr. was able to see me. My daughter was with me and was such a trooper putting up with my bad puns and jokes, while I was all snug in the hospital bed, still hooked up to a machine that kept beeping, and squeezing my arm, (really it sounded like it was sending messages in morse code.) :| 

Finally the Dr. came, he poked and prodded; had me stand and checked all my reflexes; he was friendly and efficient; he even tickled my feet, (I was surprised I was not asked to do the hokey pokey). After all that, he still was unsure of what exactly was wrong, but believed it could be one or more pinched nerves, possibly caused by a bulging disc and he would need to look at an MRI before giving a diagnoses. So I was discharged, (with only enough medications for that night and the next day), and given prescriptions for an MRI, medication to help with the pain, inflammation, and muscles spasms; and of course was told to follow up with my own doctor. (I later discovered I would have to wait 10 days before I could get approved for an MRI, thanks insurance!).

By this time my friend who drove me to the ER had already left needing to get home, but thankfully another good friend of mine was able to pick us up. On the way home we had some good laughs joking about how I was going to get up the stairs and into my apartment. This could prove to be a bit of a challenge as I wasn't on my meds yet, (I needed to wait until after I got home and some food into my system). In the end I made it home safe and up the stairs, with my ooching and ouching, after spending close to 5 hours in the ER, without food or any pain relief, I was extremely grateful to be home, fed, and medicated. Let's just say things got a whole lot loopy and foggy after that. (Did I tell you that I loved you yet? Man, but I really do, I mean it...) @_@

Fast forward yet again...

Looped up and feeling better than I had earlier in the week, it was now Saturday evening or more so very early Sunday morning. My daughter and I were just relaxing on the couch, (which is pretty much all I have been doing the last few days). We had been watching a movie earlier and were now on our laptops having fun, being goofy online, before heading to bed. And that is when it happened! 

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!

It scared all of us, my daughter and I made for a safe area; the archway of our hallway, which is also next to the side of a large solid wood entertainment center, (where we could crouch down and be in the "triangle of safety"). The cat high tailed it into my daughter's room and hid under her bed, (not the safest place, Mr. Tibbs!). When crouching down, the building was shaking so much, my daughter and I were praying, and my knee, (on my sore leg), got slammed into the ground. Ouch! 

I can't say for sure how long the earthquake lasted, except that it seemed to last for a long time and was one of the largest ones I have ever felt. The whole time my daughter was quick texting family and friends in the area to make sure they were okay. Once it was over and after going over our apartment for anything that might have fallen or gotten damaged, (we were very fortunate that nothing broke and only some small items fell down), I went online to look up any information on the recent quake. The initial report put it at 6.4; later the report put it as a 7.1 that is a pretty intense quake! I thank Jesus, we were okay and so were all of our friends and family. Not everyone came out of the quake without loss and our prayers and thoughts go out to them. 

So now it is Wednesday, mostly recovered from the shock that the earthquake ensued. I am sure we will be talking about it for a long while yet. My knee now has a colorful bruise, (good thing I like purple), and was swollen for a few days. Nothing a good ice pack could take of, and of course I was glad that I had medication to help with the pain. :|

And that has been my week, I am here now writing this blog, which because of my lovely loopy medication and brain fog, has taken me literally ALL day to write, and several cups of coffee! 

I did take a break and went to the store, thanks to another good friend for the ride, and hanging out with me while I got to drive the cart around the store; it was a little bit like go karts! XD 

I would also just like to say how grateful I am for all the good friends (both near and far), that God has put into my life! Thank you guys! =)

So until next week,

God Bless and Take Care!

~RMM

** here is a link about the earthquake. 

Alaska Dispatch: News on the Earthquake

Review: The Thompson-Chain Reference Study Bible-KJV

The Thompson-Chain Reference Study Bible-KJV by Anonymous
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This bible was a gift back in 2011 and I will say it has been one of the best gifts ever! I love God's word, each time you read a whole new layer comes to light!

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Review: Nuts in May

Nuts in May by Cornelia Otis Skinner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those treasure finds! A hilarious book/play that is well written and really an easy read, that will have you laughing out loud!

I had never heard of Cornelia Otis Skinner, until my daughter's acting troupe decided to do the play "Nuts in May." I spent that weekend reading the play and looking up Cornelia Otis Skinner and was dumbstruck that I had not heard of her before. I now have a new (old) author to add to my list! The only draw back is that much of Cornelia's writings are hard to find, but really well worth the hunt!

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Review: Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories, from the Mercy Thompson world. Each story was from a different characters view point and either was an orgin story or story that filled out some of the different characters in her books. I found this to be very refreshing and it was nice to get a different look into Mercy Thompson world from perspectives that were not hers and getting to know some of the other characters better, especially those that do not make many appearances otherwise. Though I will give a warning as the author does at the beginning of the book, there are a few spoilers throughout, so if you are new to Mercy Thompson world, or not up-to-date with the series (Night Broken), you may not want to read this book (yet). That is if you don't like spoilers. ;)

Patricia Briggs has become one of my favorite authors over this last year. She has a relaxed way of writing and I also really love her scene and character discriptions, that bring her books to life, I just sort of sink into her world. That is one thing I really look forward to when I open a good book or reading any good story, I want to be able to sink into that world and see it come to life!

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Review: Heir of Fire

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up the book and litterally could not put it down! I really enjoy the way Sarah J Maas writes and has a way of wrapping her world around yours while you read, that is a huge plus in my book. I am so glad I had the next book waiting, I hate being left on cliffs to hang around! I am eager to find out what happens in the world of Celeana Sardothien, so many exciting things are going on!

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Review: Fire

Fire by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is an exciting tale of the other side of the mountians where monsters live in all sorts of vibrant colors. Where civil war threatens the land and one girl discovers herself and is faced with some life altering decisions. Will she continue on in an as much as possible ambiguous way, or will she meet the challenges faced before her and help save the kingdom?

So far I will have to say this is my favorite book to the Graceling Realm books. I found this book to be very exciting and was sad the story was over. I wanted to know more about Fire's life and how things continue on. It would be great if Cashore adds a continuence to Fire's story in the future.

Unlike the first story (Graceling) which I did enjoy, I felt more connected and related better with Fire's story and character. The first book had an interesting story which kept me going, though some of the character developement felt forced. By the time you are into the second book (which I am glad I continued reading the series!), Cashores character developement and scene descriptions have matured. It is as if she were having fun with the characters in this story and really delving into a deeper level of a story-telling.

I am sad to leave Fire's story behind, it really was a very good read. I do look forward to reading the next book, "BitterBlue," which hopefully will round off the trilogy and tie things together or maybe it will open the story to future Graceling adventures! Which I would certiantly look forward to reading!


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Review: Twelve Years a Slave

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An incredible story of hope, faith, and resilience. This book did not read as a non-fiction, once I started reading I could not put it down!

I found Solomon such a good story teller it was easy to slip back into time as an unseen witness to his crucible. The fluid language of the era and his strong sense of belief's definetly gave a different first hand viewpoint to one of the most darker sides of American history. I experienced a whole range of emotion, from joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness; knowing it is a true story made it all the more touching!

I recomend this book to anyone that wants an inspring story, a look into history, and well are not satisfied with just surving but want to live!

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Worst Blogger Ever!

     Yup, just as the title states, I have to be one of the WORST BLOGGERs EVER! It is now 2016 and I began putting this blog page together in 2014, before that I had attempted another blog on a different site. None of which have been very successful because, I just don't write enough! The whole idea of the blog is to write, be it sharing ideas, recipes, other hobbies, personal stories, works of fiction, etc. You get the idea, (that is if you are reading this.) Not sure if anyone has stumbled on this sad blog for quiet a while and actually reads anything I post. If that is the case I guess I will just ramble on to myself, nothing new there, I do it all the time at home. On the rare chance that you are reading this, Thank you sooo much for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your perusal of my blog, there is not much here at the moment, still very much a work in progress. 

    Anyhoo I digress, which is a bad habit of mine. The t-shirts that say, "I don't have an attention prob-.... Oh, look a Rabbit!" That would be me. Just thought I would give a fair warning, I will attempt to stay on topic as much as possible, it is just the scenic route can be much more entertaining don't you think? 

    Now where was I, oh yes, WORST BLOGGER EVER! I simply do not write enough, I am very random and have no schedule. I do get, what I think are funny ideas or inspirations to write, but if I don't stop what I am doing that very moment and write, well by the time I sit down to write my mind goes blank. Rather annoying that. I know one key thing to writing is to just write, be it non-sense or something more substantial. Writing is a habit the more you do it the easier it gets, the more ideas will just flow out, (most of the time). That's the idea anyway.

    For my New Years resolution this year, is to just be better, that includes everything, like writing my blog. I want to write, I have several short stories and story ideas, I actually enjoyed essay writing in school. I also have tons of poetry and well just want to write, period. I think having a blog would be fun and a good way to get writing. There will be times I have specific things I want to write about and other times I will just have to just start putting random thoughts down just to get the flow going. The point is at least one day a week, I will sit down and post something to my blog. I will not be like last year where I posted two things at the beginning of the year then went, *poof* for the rest of the year. That certainly will not generate any readers, or keep any readers for that matter, nor will it help me to write. 

     Perhaps next year I won't be the WORST BLOGGER EVER! I am sure it will take me more than a year to generate a really good steady audience. Hopefully by the end of the year I will have a clear idea about the things I want to talk about in this blog, instead of being sporadic and random. The key is that I will be a better blogger than I am now, perhaps I will talk about the other things in my life that I am trying to be better at. 2015 really was a very tough year and I am so glad it is a new year and really I want to make a point of it being a better year all round. At 12 days into the New Year, I would say things are looking better than last year. So, if I do not randomly write again before next week, I will see you then, or um write to you then! :) 

Oh and HAPPY NEW YEARS!

From the WORST BLOGGER EVER!
~RM