The Mail Order Bride

 You meet all kinds, where ever you go, and the hospital is no different,

 Yesterday, I reported about the young Mexican girl on her first day, and the couple that had a hairdresser, & masseuse, and snacked on Red Lobster.

 Today, I am going to introduce you to Verna, she was a slightly over weight woman, average looking, blond, shoulder length hair, which she wore in a pony tail, and a bit of make up. Her accent was VERY strong, and I could tell it was probably Russian, I had her the day before with my other 2 MRI's, she was the one with the kind soul, & very nurturing, I am not sure if she had kids, but, she would have made an excellent mom.

 I would rather not go into detail about how my day was on Fri. I will just say, I had the most pain I have EVER had in my life, and remember, I had 5 childbirths with no medication, epidurals etc. I have had kidney stones more than a few times, 2 back surgeries, & a hysterectomy.

 What was causing this pain was a bowel blockage, something far beyond constipation. The nurses had no clue as to what they were dealing with, and I could not sit due to the pain. This went on for hours, as did waiting for my pain meds, which would have HELPED a great deal, instead, I waited 4 hrs later than my dosage, which means I went 8hrs in between.

 Now its about  5pm and I am due for another MRI, so my Russian tech comes, and I am explaining to her that I am having a hard time sitting etc. SO, she now knows what is going on. 

 She said to me, well listen up, I am a mail order bride, I lived in NY for 15 years, I was so happy that she was from my NY, I could have done the Irish jig, she explained how her family wanted better for her and she went to NY expenses paid to be his bride, and they are still married, they moved to Phoenix 6 years ago.

 She then tucked me into the MRI tunnel, almost like my mom tucking me in when I was a kid, she played nice relaxing music, and told me she was going to keep me longer to give me a break & relax me, she massaged my shoulders, & rubbed my legs, which felt wonderful, and then she gave me the MRI, I honestly was able to block out some of the pain, at one point I did hear myself tell God to take me now, because I can't live in this kind of pain, and I remember wanting an anesthesiologist, to put me out of my misery.

 Being skeptical after all I have been through, this MRI was seeming to last a long time, and my back was hot, and for a minute I thought, she is cooking me!!!

 The crazy thoughts that go through your head!! I must say, this woman knew what she was doing, soon after the test was done, I said, I needed to use the bathroom, I will say it hurt like hell, but, it got things moving, and the entire fiasco didn't stop until late Sat night.

 I think this will be the last blog on my hospital stay. For all of you kind people who ask how, I am doing, I am ok, no where near up to par, sleepy all the time, still having the headaches & neck aches, off footing & neurological issues, but, the doctors feel they will all go away in time, so I am just happy, because it could have been a lot worse~ 

 Thank you again, & keep up your prayers & good thoughts!!

FLORIDA IS CALLING MY NAME

 Can you hear it, if you listen ever so slightly you can hear it, Kimmy, kimmy come to Florida!!!
 For once I don't want to discuss my health, I want to discuss something that would make me feel so good!
 I really would like to go to Florida late June, early July, first off I think everyone needs something to look forward to, it really helps you get through the tough times.
 My travels bring me to Jacksonville, My friends Michael & Bren live there, Bren is among the under 50 stroke club like me, & Michael I have known each other since I was 15, It would be great to spend a day or 2 with them!
 Then onto Orlando, because my granddaughter Jolie, LOVES her pooh people, she calls them her toons, and we want to get her the figurines, HERE, you are lucky to get 3 in a package, in Orlando, the land of Disney, you can get a package of the whole stinking toon family, Orlando Rocks!!! and so will Grammy if she brings home all the toons...LOL!!!
 I also want to meet up with all of our friends from last years reunion, so we can eat at Lenny's oops I mean Denny's every morning. I can't wait to take our 1 day drive to FT Lauderdale to see Jimmy & Dave, I really enjoyed the boardwalk there, shopping,& restaraunts!!!
 After the Orlando stay I would like to go see Aunt B & Uncle D in Palm Coast, as Cody put it, they are nice to you mommy, they bought you a big white drink!!! WEll, they sure did,a FRIBBLE from friendly's how I miss that place, and now my cousin MaryBeth has me hooked on the friendly's franks, and Aunt B got me with the onion rings!! Do I look like I need all this food???
 I also love to just spend time with them, they are my very best cousins & AUnt & Uncle,  we never run out of things to say!!
 Then the trip takes me back to Jacksonville, my friend Carmen, lives in SOuth Georgia, the closest airport is JAX, so I will finally meet her friend Sandy, and Carmen & I will go back to her house for a few days to a week, you see, we have NEVER met, but have known each other 15 years, she taught me how to sew over the internet & phone calls! We call each other hellmates, because we always seem to be going through the same bad times at the same time, you know misery loves company??? LOL
 I look forward to just sitting & talking on her couch, we are both broke, physically & financially, between the both of us, it hurts us just about everywhere!!! But, I trust you, we will NEVER run out of things to say, we want to cook nice dinners, kick back, and just enjoy each others company!

 SO, I know God is still in the business of miracles, so I am asking for one now!!!!

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

 The first 24 hrs in the hospital seemed to be fine, actually more than fine, meds & meals on time, whenever I needed something they were right there. Well, the party was over the minute the "roommate" showed up.

 Heck, I don't know who she was, or was related to, but, she was in the wrong hospital, sharing a room with the WRONG person!

 She came in around 9pm, with this aggravating voice, Fran Dresher"ish" but, no N.Y. accent, she whined, and all she had to do was look at her husband and he knew exactly what to do, and did it. Will someone please tell me the secret??? 

 The hubs was unpacking a good half hour, I don't unpack that well in a hotel, she brought her nice luggage set, had all kinds of clothes, from jeans to dress pants hanging in the closet, several pairs of shoes, lady, I don't know where you are but, I thought all I needed was the gown, they provide for you & those beautiful socks!!, my closet, on the other hand, had my out ft to wear home, one that I am sure came from wal-mart or Target, I had a strong feeling she never shopped in those stores!!

 I have NEVER in my life heard of someone being on sooooo many drugs, she took morphine & methadone, and other pain meds, I never heard of, she got pills almost every hour, & still whined, I am thinking, what the heck is wrong with her, and it better not be contagious!!

 Now, let me get this straight, she was whining, because that was the way she communicated, I did not hear her in pain. When it was time for my meds, I was now waiting HOURS past my time to receieve my meds, and her meds were there before they were do, who is this person, there is a curtain between us, so I can't even see her,I wanted one of my dogs to come like ToTo from the wizard of oz and move that curtain, when they FINALLY got around to giving me my meds, I said I should be getting another dosage right now, you have entirely skipped a dosage, and my pain is about a 7, and why it is that she gets her meds the minute they are do?? Well, then we all became quiet!

 All, I wanted to do was sleep, it was now 2am, and I am in pain, and she is whining to her husband lights on brighter than bright, I finally had to ask her to dim the light some, so I could sleep, by the attitude, that didn't go over well.

  OK, so, now it's Friday, I had the day from hell, will make it another blog, but, I had honestly been in the worst pain I had EVER been in in my life, including child birth!

 Early is the evening I went out for ANOTHER MRI, Yes, another blog, and the tech knew what kind of day I had, she was amazing to me, and I will blog about her tomorrow, she gave me almost 90 min peace, and God knows I needed it!

 I get back to my room, and there they are, Lights ALL turned on TV blasting, I decided I was not going to let them get to me. A few minutes go by and she asks me if I could please turn MY lights on, as the person who does her hair is coming, OK, meanwhile I had just said to the nurse I am putting on Dateline & hopefully falling asleep, now remember I had the worst day of pain in my life, and the bedfellow knew it. So, I lit the lights, and in walks the woman and she gets a hair cut, she calls for maintenance, like they are her slaves, that really annoyed me, they had thoroughly cleaned the room hours ago, they are on call for vomit,  not hair cuts, so they refused to come!!

 Next, in walks a woman in a white robe, and she announces she is the masseuse, and the bedfellows both get their massage, and all I want to do is sleep!!! AND now we are over an hour late on MY meds, but, they are bringing her meds every hour, so I call the nurse, takes forever for them to come, and I finally lost my New York gasket!! I said, with a tremble in my shaky drunk sounding voice, from the stroke, I said, why is it that because she OBVIOUSLY has money & I DON'T, I becomes less of a patient? I am NEVER getting my meds on time, I call the nurses, you know I am having diahrrea issues, and no one comes, and I am hooked up to a million things here, so I am forced to sit in it, and I did develop what I guess you would call terrible diaper rash, I was in tears. They apologized, but, nothing changed, as I blog on during the week, you will see.

 So, I am cleaned up, medded and exhausted & the bedfellows decide they want a snack? Ice cream, taco bell etc??? NOOOO, RED LOBSTER!

 So, I sat smelling red lobster, when I haven't had an ounce of food that day and only lunch the day before!!! My mouth was watering something fierce!!!!

 FINALLY, Sat morning she was released, and I could finally sleep.

 I am not saying I am a great roomie in the hospital, but, people should think of the needs of their roommates, try to remember if they are there, they are there for a reason, and some of us, "think" we are in terrible pain, and devour all the nurses time, while others of us, are in real pain, and only need the nurse for 5 min to administer our meds. What started as what I thought would be a break, ended in me wanting to come home more than ever!

 Tomorrow, I will be blogging about the worst day of my life, EVER, seriously, the care & sympathies of strangers, who don't even speak my language, and my guardian angel!

 Until then, be healthy, be happy & be blessed!!!

Breaking News......KImmy's going on a field trip!!!!

 Before I start typing from the HAND WRITTEN blog I wrote, my first night in the hospital, I just thought it was important to mention the hospital's internet was down due to a virus, and, I had no internet access at all!!


 YIPPE SKIPPY, Kimmy finally gets that much needed vacation, field trip, which ever you choose to call it!~
 This field trip was one of those spur of the moment,  unplanned ones, They say sometimes, those are the best. Taken from a well know national news station, We report, you decided, I think we will do the same, concerning how practical & helpful this field trip was.
 It started with this mornings 8am wake up call, from the UH,Remember in my lingo there is no DH it is UH, unbelieveable husband, because one never knows what they will do next, I reluctantly got up, fatigue has been a symptom I am dealing with everyday, since these headaches started.
 We made it to the hospital, pretty uneventful, but, that is where it ended. As I entered the hospital, I began to loose my balance & instinctively grabbed the lady next to me, which was an 80- yr old lady working the information desk!!! OMGosh, what next, don't ever be me and ask that!!! The lady then decides it would be best if I was in a wheel chair, Good thinking, lady!!!
 So, the journey begins, my head is pounding, I am loosing my footing,  my speech sounds as if I had tequila for breakfast!
 I get an ultra sound in my corotted artery, luckily, it was only 15% blocked, which was good, It meant no stent would be needed!!
 Since I had all these symptoms they decided to send me to the ER, I have had more dates, this year with the emergency room, than I have with my husband!!!!
 They took me right away & put me in the "critical" room, well, the only difference between the critical room & regular room is, the critical room you don't get any TV!! How fair is that?? Don't you think if I am critical, I deserve to know whats going on, on General hospital????
 Part 2 of the field trip starts with the CT scan, not, so bad, on the way down I even got to do a little shopping, and picked out new hospital socks in a nice color blue that I don't have!!!
 It was after the C/T scan that they decided I was going to have a sleep over,, not the kind with the movies & popcorn! The menu consisted of 2t salad with no dressing, canned pears, which I HATE, and regular shots of pain meds & valium.
 To make matters worse, I was told the hospital computer system was down, AND there are 6 extra channels, the locals, and ESPN 1 & 2 and it's March Maddness, and 2 channels re running LAW 7 ORDER, just like home, over & over again, So, basically, here I was planning a nice evening, a nice snack, & lifetime movies, well hell would be freezing over before that fantasy would become a reality.
But, I had a hot date with yet another c/t scan, this time with contrast@ 10 pm, WOO-HOO, I get to stay up past my bed time!!!! And stay off my blood sugar meds, so as the days progressed, my sugar started going through the roof and I wasn't even eating!
 The next morning starts, Thursday, with an MRI on my brain, and cervical spine, so it was about an hour long.
 My good friend Dan Lane brought me Taco bell, and thank the Good Lord he did, because it was the only meal I ate in there, all those days!!! 
 I was now starting to lose track of the days, and the effects of the constant IV pain meds being put in me was affecting me, my balance was about the same, and some weakness on my left side, speech was getting better everyday, brain was still moving slow & still is, but, it could have been FAR worse!!
 MY nurse was a young girl, and I pulled her aside and said, when I get the next MRI I need to take my belly button ring out, can you help me? I was so embarrassed, I am like, my girls made me do this, I am turning 50 , they wanted me to do something memorable, well they just laughed, and were
pierced & tattooed everywhere!!!
 As when ever I travel, I request a window seat, and this time was no different, I had a big window seat overlooking building tops, little did I know that having THAT bed, was going to come back & bite me!!
 Before The second C/T scan I did get a little more shopping in, I had been collecting quite an assortment of bracelets, all different colors, so when I got the yellow one that said fall risk,  I asked, am I going to get a pink one? and they said, you have all the colors but 1, that 1 is purple & it means DO NOT RECESITATE, so I don't think you want that one???!!!!
 Well, night one, here we stand, I thought I'd have a night of no kids, cleaning up puppy poop, no UH, lifetime movies, a good snack, the internet all night long,, and in reality, I do have the room to myself, & what a BLESSING that would be, not knowing what was in store for me, I have no internet, LAW & ORDER,& SPORTS I did sleep good, and boy was I going to need it!
 So, what you could look forward to is the mail order bride from Russia, the Poop & the Spoon, a confirmed stroke, the Roommate,  N.Y. VS AZ, and we know who ALWAYS wins that one!! Insulin injections, coins for a FB game, & much more!! So, please keep following!
 Just so you do know, I did have a mild stroke, I have weakness on my left side, my speech is slurred, but getting better, I am VERY tired, my vitals are good, just low blood pressure & a bladder infection. My degenrative disc disease has moved into my neck, and may need surgery in the future, and I have occipital neuralgia in both nerves, along with migraines, most of which is treatable, not curable! I also have RA through out my body, I will be seeing a pain specialist after the neurologist next week.
 So, I must bring this to a close, I am exhausted! Will blog more then.
 Please, when reading the blog click follow, so you can follow, and I believe you will get emails every time I post a new. I am hoping for a following here, so I don't have to keep up the notes on FB, it is very hard to keep the blog & notes going, so PLEASE follow the blog!!
 Good night my friends!!!   XOXOX   KIMMY

Past Present & Future

 What a long day this has been, considering I haven't left the house or gotten out of my Jammies, my house needs a vacuuming, and cleaning, and being OCD, this is about to give me a stroke,...OK, bad humor!!
 My wording as better today, less scrambled, and I am a bit less tired.
 Tomorrow will be a big day, but, I am learning not to think about tomorrow, and just live for today. So, I will tell you about my day, and then what is in store for tomorrow!~
 It was a cold day in Phoenix, 90 last week 65 today, I rather enjoyed it, I am not what you would call a desert rat!
 If I told you how long it is taking me to write this you wouldn't believe me, I am re spelling, etc. Oh, the joys of a scrambled brain, sshhh... many of you are saying and that is new, how???
 A monumental thing happened today, My ex husband called me today, and we had a NICE talk, it has been ages, maybe since we were married that we have talked like that, we divorced 18 years ago, have 3 kids together & 2 grands, I feel so much better clearing the air with him, I wanted him to know some things, and my kids & grands to know some things, just encase. Yes, just encase, you never know, ans how many times do you say, I wish I got the opportunity to tell them....., well, I am making sure I am telling everyone, everything they need to know.
 MY uh, aka dh, was much better today, Yesterday, I don't think he knew how to process things, and we are talking about a man who has had a massive stroke & is brain damaged. SO, that made my life easier!~
 LOL, I have to laugh if I published this the way I am typing it, you would need a Russian interperter!! I know I spelt that wrong!
 I spoke on the phone today to all the husbands, kids, & dearest friends, and that was all I did, that meant the world to me, and I think we should all spend a day once a year where we do that, so people know what they really mean to us.
 Tomorrow morning, which is going to be quite the chore, part of my symptoms is sleepiness, and waking up is so hard, I have to be up by 8am, which to me is like 3am, and got for the ultra sound in my corroted artery, OOPS, there's another miss spelt word, if I have a blockage, I will need a stent, I got the impression it would be tomorrow, but, I am not sure, Say a prayer, next to come is the MRI on my brain & neck, and they are taking their sweet ole time setting those appointments up!!
 I am hoping to be blogging,, as I do every night, tomorrow, OK, I know a few of you are saying, Please take a night off!!! Letting you know the outcome of the day.
Even though it seems hard at times and like we are crumbling under the weight of our burdens, God is there holding us and helping us through...

A stroke, really???

 Well, here I sit in my recliner, on March 21, a bit under 6 mos than I am turning 50.
 Yesterday was some day, it was not at all what I thought a stroke would be, but, how many of us really think about what it would be like? I tried like crazy to email people all day long, and it looked as though I was writing in Russian, when I tell you I was persistant, I did not stop until 2 am, it was the most frustrating experience, In my head I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but, it would not come out in words, it was awful!!
 I was confused, clutsy, dropping things, & tripping, those things I have been doing for the better part of a week now.
 Tuesday, I went & got an injection in both sides of my head due to my headache, and Fri, I ended up in the ER getting a shot, again, on both sides.
 I have been so tired, sleeping until noon, and napping during the day,no energy to get anything done. Been working on a quilt for a gift and I am dragging my butt on it, I promise it is coming!!!
 I am still having speech issues, I have been asked if I have been drinking, when everyone who knows me knows I don't drink, and I am just not right, so please forgive this blog, it is not up to par.
 Next wed I go for an ultra sound on my corroted artery, if needed, will get a stent, then I go for an MRI on my brain to see if there is damage or a tumor, and then an MRI on my neck to see if there is damage, causing my occipital neuralgia headaches.
 I came home to 6 loving dogs that were so happy to see me, made me feel loved & special!
 I do want to say this is a NEW blog, it is NOT candy coated or politically correct, in this blog you will hear it like it is, there is no dh in this blog, it is a UH, for unbelievable husband, because you don't know what they will do next. SOme of you are lucky & do know what they will do next and it will be all good!....My UH is bi polar, and he has been anything but, kind, loving & supportive to me, when I need it the most, between him and other family members, they think I am on drugs, drinking, just tired of hearing me complain, oh well, I am sorry, I am scared, for once, can someone show me some love, God knows I gave enough to go around.
 My kids have been very supportive, Cody can't know, because he can't handle it, he is a momma's boy, and this would put him over the edge.
 I am sorry if I am negative, I really wish my UH and other family members could act as kind & loving as my FB family does, A hug, a nice word, you are going to be ok, or ARE you ok? any of that would do nicely, but, it's not going to happen, I should know by now. IF I had MONEY, my life would be different, I would be with someone who treated me like I deserve. Ok, enough of the ranting!
 Today is the first day post stroke, lets hope things get better!!! I have faith in God & know he has a plan, and this is all part of it, but, one thing I do know is I just need to be held, to be told I am loved & be told everything in going to be ok, is that too much to ask for? Gos Bless & good night!