Sooo much to say

Well we haven't gotten the swine flu yet even though we apparently live in the hot bed for confirmed cases here in our county! With luck, hand washing and other preventative measures I hope we continue to stay that way. I read today that testing supplies are in short supply and the local hospital is limiting the amount they send out for confirmation. They also report that people who contract it might not be hospitalized or dying like many in other parts of the world but if you get it you can guarantee at LEAST 7-10 days VERY ill and out of work. And in today's economy that's just not good for anyone. So keep the hand sanitizers close and handy!

Recently I've spent a lot of time at our local hospital. First there was all that with my Dad and the ventilator issue. He got lucky though and after waiting 24 more hours he was able to come off of it and breathe on his own so he was discharged to a local nursing home until he can get into the Veteran's Home long term. He's really starting to slow down more and more with each of these things that happen with him. He's his own worst enemy it seems. But if he's smart he'll give into the slow down and let the nurses help him get more of his strength back. Knowing him though I'm sure his restlessness and idiocy will get the best of him and before we know he'll once again be back to a life or death situation WE inevitably have to get him out of. OR the cancer will eat him quickly and that will be that. He is a walking billboard for making better choices in life or they will catch up to you sooner then later!

Speaking of catching up to me! A couple weeks ago my esophageal reflux caught up to me! I'd been managing it pretty well with over the counter medications except for the off and on acidy taste in my throat but I decided to try Prilosec OTC and see if it'd get rid of it entirely. Needless to say from that point on it just got worse. I had my first REAL case of heartburn that keeps you up at night and is painful. From there I stopped the Prilosec and went back to using OTC Pepcid and Zantac along with liquid Antacid/Anti-gas but it never really went away entirely. It woke me up a couple more times in the next couple weeks then suddenly WHAM it hit me harder then I ever thought possible. It was Sunday night and from 9pm-1am I attempted to battle the pain but it just continued to get worse until I was in tears. At that point I knew I had to make the pain stop and the only way to do that was an ER visit. So Mi & I trudged up there and after hours of tests, continued pain, ingesting of milk of magnesia laced with viskous lidocaine, an ekg and xrays they determined it must be GERD as everything else checked out fine. They stuck me numerous times for blood and an iv to give me the meds, complaining that I must be dehydrated therefore difficult to get a vein that was usable. I have the bruises now to prove it too but I wouldn't have cared if they stuck me a million times if it meant the Fentanyl and Protonix were going to give me some relief quick! Lucikly the Fentanyl made the pain bearable and me a wee bit loopy. The protonix kicked in a bit too and I was able to go home and attempt to get a little rest as it was now after 4am. Needless to say we were both exhausted by this time and neither of us was able to go to work on Monday morning. My brain by this time had pretty much turned to mush and I was now afraid to eat ANYTHING!

It's now nearly 2 weeks later, the protonix stopped from lack of real relief and Nexium started. It seems to be working better but I've given up caffeine, soda pop, fatty foods, chocolate and fried foods entirely in order to make sure I dont EVER experience that kind of pain again! I've since experimented a little bit with some roasted chicken with alfredo sauce pizza and an Arby's roast beef sandwich with success but all in all I'm eating healthier then I have in months. And I'm convinced God did this to me as a wake up call and in answer to my prayers to help me fight my compulsive overeating disease and sugar addiction. And I have to admit it's working. At least for the time being. I'm a realist though and know I've started back up again before when these types of experiences have been presented to me but I at least feel better and think it's helping. Plus I don't feel AS lethargic, bloated, depressed or self loathing as I do when in full food addiction mode. So I'm taking things one day at a time and hope THIS time I'm in it for the long haul.

On a seperate update Lisa is feeling MUCH better and getting along quite well at least physically. Financially it's a challenge being off work that long but she's holding up well and has a great support system in ME! hehe! In truth I've really enjoyed the time she's got to spend with Chase after school and wish I really could pay her enough so she didn't have to work and could continue being that caregiver to him and in helping me with his schedule in general. But in less then 2 weeks she'll most likely be back at work instead and we'll hope this summer she can once again spend some time with him for part of the day. She also found out she has a mama racoon living in her roof space with babies but are hopeful they moved out a couple days ago and that the contractor will arrive SOON to replace the board they had gained entry through! I'll let you know.

On the job front for me I've unoffically, been told that Omnicare wishes me to be their Frontend Adjutacator at the Pharmacy when the conversion is finished and I'm now waiting on the regional manager to make the 'official' offer to me soon. Even though it's not what I would have liked as the outcome considering my BFF Tari and I are seperated and she's been eliminated entirely from work, I am thankful I have a job and if all goes well at the same wage as I am now. Ligistically fitting into the pharmacy space has me a bit concerned but I am turning it all over to my higher power and hope in the end whatever happens will all work itself out. People are dropping like flies though including one of OC's pharmacists who was marketing our homes so for them to be 'offering' me something rather then eliminating me I guess I should be grateful. It's a dog eat dog world and I hope it turns less ferocious soon! It's now nearly 10pm and since I'm not only doing my job still and am now including all of Tari's duties as well I need all the sleep I can get to stay on top of my game. So with that said I bid you all a good night. Til next time.