Meme

About a month ago Shannon2 tagged me with this meme. I am just now getting around to it. Getting a little stir crazy, so filling it out filled some time.

ARE YOU:
1. A Cuddler? Only with B
2. A morning person? Yes and no - I am an early riser, but not a very nice person.
3. Are you a perfectionist? Not really.
4. An only child? Nope...I have a younger brother who rules.
5. Catholic: No.
6. In your pajamas? Yes I am.
7. Currently suffering from a broken heart? No.
8. Okay styling other people's hair? Ummm...no. Why would I want to do that? I've been out of Junior High for a while now.
9. Left handed? All the way.
10. Addicted to MySpace? No. See #8
11. Shy around the opposite gender? No. I love boys.
12. Loud? Yes.

DO YOU:
1. Bite your nails? No, but I do bite my cuticles. Nasty, I know.
2.Get paranoid at times? Yes, I am a little bit insane.
3. Currently regret something that you have said/done? Constantly.
4. Curse frequently when you get mad? I curse all of the time, I don't have to be mad.
5. Enjoy country music? No not really. Unfortunately I know a lot about it because I am a celebrity gossip whore just like my mom and she fills me in on the scoop.
6. Enjoy jazz music? I would rather slit my wrists with a dull spoon.
7. Enjoy smoothies? No they freak me out - texture.
8. Enjoy talking on the phone? No. I hate to talk on the phone, but when I do it's usually for a really long time.
9. Have a lot to learn?Always.
10. Have a pet? 2 cats - Darwin and Eliza.
11. Have a tendency to fall for the "wrong" person? In the past, but no more. I have a keeper.
12. Have all your grandparents died? All but one biological - my maternal grandfather, Poppaw Kitty Kat. He remarried so I also have a stgrandmotherher, Helen.
13. Have at least one sibling? Didn't I answer this earlier?
14. Have been told that you are smart? Yes. Actually B told me the other night that my "brain is sexy." Whatever. I was fishing for something more superficial.
15. Have had a broken bone? No, I am incredibly lucky because I fall down a lot.
16. Have Caller I.D. on your phone? Duh. I am a social worker who worked in mental health for 6 years.

HAVE YOU:
1. Changed a diaper? Yes, but I am currently on strike until Ruby arrives.
2. Changed a lot over the past year? Yes.
3. Had friends who have never seen your natural hair color? No, I stick close to the original.
4. Had surgery? Yeah, last week. That's why you're reading this instead of something profound.
5. Killed anyone? Only with kindness my friend, only with kindness.
6. Had your haircut within the last week? I wish, it needs it.

LAST PERSON WHO:
1. Saw you cry? My mom earlier today.
2. Went to the movies with you? Lori.
3. You went to the mall with? Caroline.
4. You went to dinner with? B.
5. You talked to on the phone? My brother.
6. Said 'I Love You" and meant it? My brother as we ended our call.
7. Made you laugh? B. Every.single.day.

WOULD YOU RATHER?
1. Pierce your nose or tongue? Neither. The nose piercing stinks and I have a porcelain veneer on my front tooth, so the tongue is out.
2. Be serious or be funny? Funny. Seriously.
3. Drink whole or skim milk? Neither. Milk tastes like blood. GAG!
4. Die in a fire or drown? Smoke inhalation. I think it would be somewhat peaceful and then the cost of cremation is voided.
5. Spend time with your parents or enemies? I like my parents and talk to them daily.

ABOUT YOU!
1. What time is it? 6:11 pm
2. Name? DebraSue
3. Nickname(s)? Deb, Debbie, D, Sister, and Doo Doo
4. Where were you born? Charleston, WV
5. What is your birthdate? August 3
6. What do you want? My daughter, a donut, sleep, and some good coffee
7. Where do you want to live? Wherever B and my family are.
8. How many kids do you want? Just my girls. They're enough.

Conversation

So I went around the block to my parents for a little family time and some Turkey Tetrazzini earlier today. My brother and his family stopped in to say howdy. I noticed that my nephew had a large scratch on his nose...

Me: "Hey Noah Bob, how'd you get that big scratch on your nose?"

Noah: "Sissy (my niece Lauryn) and I were playing and she accidentally scratched me."

Me: "Oh yeah?"

Noah: "Yeah, and my fist accidentally hit her in the mouth."

No lie.

On the Mend

The surgery went well. I am now officially cleaned out, sewed up, and sterile. Pshew.
I am taking Advil around the clock, cat-napping, eating Turkey, and playing Civilization III - Conquests.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Time to heal.

Good Grief

I know it's been a while, and I may have lost a few of my 10 or so readers, but things have been a little hectic here at home. Life's fast and we are just hanging on for the ride.

It all started a few weeks ago with a crazy sinus infection, jittery eyeballs, and the spins. I was in a meeting for work and as I bent over to get some paperwork out of my bag, I kept right on going over. It was pretty scary. Fortunately, I work in the medical field and a nurse was at the meeting. Logically, I called my doctor and got another appointment. He suggested bloodwork and a CAT scan to see what was going on. I did the bloodwork the next day, requested they send the results to my gyno because of my surgery, and scheduled my CAT scan for a week later. On Monday the nurse called and told me my bloodwork was fine. I specifically inquired about my TSH (thyroid) and glucose levels because I have a pretty strong family history (foreshadowing here) , and she told me, "No they're perfect."

So B and I go to get the CAT scan the next Saturday. Well, my doc didn't inform me that I was getting a CAT scan with contrast or that I couldn't eat or drink anything beforehand, so I was a little surprised when they whipped out the "You can die from this dye" contract. I had a major panic attack. Tears and a little hyperventilating because I was so pissed and upset that no one prepared me. I should've known, but I have never had a CAT scan of my brain before! I felt like an idiot, but finally consented and did the test.

I got the call on Monday that my brain is fine and that's that. No follow up, no nothing. Oh I did let the nurse know I was pissed, and she totally blamed it on the hospital. Whatever.

Here's the kicker - I go in Thursday for my pre-op appointment with my gyno. The NP started asking the typical questions, and when she asked about meds, I told her "BP meds only." She looked at my chart, and goes, "Well, when are you starting synthroid?" What?

Of course I had no idea what she's talking about. She then informed me that my thyroid levels are above normal according to my latest round of bloodwork on November 3. Remember the foreshadowing? To add insult to injury, the Pre-admission Testing nurse at the hospital asked the same freaking question when we got to the med review! ARGH!

If you know anything about hypothyroidism, and you've been around me for the last month or so, you would quickly put 2 and 2 together. I am beyond pissed. So pissed I can't even call my soon-to-be-former doctor because I can't trust myself to be rational.

Needless to say I am (yet again) firing another doctor and finding a new one. My friend Alicia has always been vehemently opposed to having a DO as a PCP, and after experiencing 2 really quacky ones, I finally concede to her belief. Sorry to those of you out there who are pursuing this degree, but I will no longer consider a DO as an option. This will be the third one we have fired - 2 for me and 1 for C.

So that's just a drop in the bucket of the excitement in the Ladybug house. Add that on top of traveling for work, finishing the semester both as a student and instructor, wrapping up cheerleading, and trying to get my house in order before surgery and you get one busy, busy DebraSue. So busy that lamenting the very real possibility that we may be traveling to China at the height of the 2008 Olympics doesn't even phase me - now that's some stress.

Flying by the Seats of Our Pants

Just wanted y'all to know I am still alive, but just barely...

1. Whatever illness I had is dying the slow lingering death a'la Pee Wee Herman in Buffy the Vampire Slayer - the movie, not TV show;
2. News about my CAT-scan incident and panic attack;
3. Travel (only bits and pieces because it's all work related) and related ills;
4. C's cellulitis in her left eyebrow;
5. My dad's scary PSA results and possible prostate issues (keep your fingers crossed it's not cancer).

We're all just a damn mess here at the Ladybug house.

The good news is B is feeling great.