Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Blood Work Is In

I got a call from the doctors office today. Do you know that if you don't take your vitamins they threaten to haul you in for iron infusions and such? I am apparently even lower on blood than I was in June. This doesn't really surprise me as I already told you I have been pretty tired and in a funk of late. I am still being good with the vitamins but will call her office tomorrow and see what she wants me to do.

All my other blood work was fine this time except for the already stated Iron and vitamin D. Apparently all Oregonians and most other people suffer from low D (especially in the Winter months). My daily vitamins contains 200% of the daily suggested amount so I should improve on that score as well.

I had a real lapse in eating last night and totally paid a price for it. My uncle had his pancreatic cyst drained. It was a very risky procedure and although it was the right thing to do (really the only option). No one wanted to do it. The surgeons didn't want to, the gastro guy couldn't because the cyst made it impossible for him to put the tools down into his stomach. and the radiologist (who didn't attend the group meeting and were ultimately nominated in his absence) Didn't want to. As stated in my last post I am grateful to them because they did a great job but...and a big but here...all of the stress and emotions of the whole thing caught up to me I think. I hit the house very hungry (well at least that is what my head was saying)...and quickly pulled a container of peanut butter cup Ben and Jerry's out of the freezer. Thankfully my daughter had had a few stabs at the thing but what was left I downed quite quickly. I deluded myself into think that since it went down quite nicely that I would be fine.

..yeah at 3am I had one of those lovely cases of acid reflux from hell. I got up a few times but finally gave up at at 3am sat in my chair for an hour messing about on this computer. I went back to bed at 4 and only woke up to say goodbye to my daughter for school at 7am. I promptly fell right back asleep and slept like I was dead until 11:30 am. David obviously came into the room dressed for work and left but I didn't hear a thing.

After I woke up I dashed to the hospital to find my uncle having tubes pulled out. He can now get up to go to the bathroom himself, sit in a recliner, totally aware of who we are and where he is. It was such a contrast to the last months that I was blown away! They are talking of moving him up to the regular ward in a couple of days.

My aunt and I went to the cafeteria for a quick bite at 1pm and we talked about how we both had the urge to celebrate with food! Boy we have problems in our family. We both turned to healthy things. If nothing else my uncle's experience has made us both aware of how important it is to take care of yourself. She had a salad and I had 1/2 a cup of chicken noodle soup.

Needless to say this evening..there is and will be no more ice cream in this house for quite some time to come. If I want a frosty treat that bad I will have to return to the protein drink.

Day 16 thanks: Girlfriends are the best. I was never a big friends kind of girl as a child and teenager. I have always been more of a serial monogamous best friend kind of person. As I get older and more mature I am finding that it is perfectly wonderful to have lots of girl friends :) I am grateful for all of you..my online banded blogger girlfriends (yes I mean you!!), my local bunco girlfriends (oh we laughed a lot tonight at bunco), my neighborhood girlfriends, and finally my family but I really like you as a girlfriend friends. We cry together, say the right things to each other, say the wrong things to each other and patch it up, drink coffee together, shop together, share our struggles and successes. Girlfriends are priceless.

xxxooo

4 comments:

Lynda said...

Take those iron pills, girlfriend!

So glad you're uncle is better and that the risky procedure paid off.

Cece said...

Chicken soup is a great recovery and I agree - girlfriends are the best ! Thanks too for the update on your uncle ... like the direction he's heading too.

Lonicera said...

Female friendships really are like a good wine - the longer you give them the better they get. Knowing each other's histories is so important for those 'no need to say anything' times.
Caroline

Theresa said...

I'm glad your Uncle is doing better. Stay on top of that Iron...take your vitamins girl!