Jan 06 Five For Friday 1/6/12

1.  Medical Stuff:

• 3 Days of Home Rehab.
• I had my 6 month cleaning at the dentist.  I received a better report with the flossing.
• I had my second treatment with my cranio-sacral therapist.  I am finding that these appointments are ones that I am actually looking forward to.  Gotta love relief.

2.  Brad and I kept with tradition and spent New Year’s Eve at the Gooley’s house.  I even made it until 3 am.  This was not a bad thing at the time, but it definitely caught up with me on New Year’s Day.  Oh well.  It was worth seeing everyone!  Thank you Gooley’s for a fabulous night, surrounded by fabulous friends.  Here’s to 2012!

3.  In my family, ever since I can remember, one of our traditions on New Year’s Eve has always been to put buttered bread on the kitchen table, and to put money outside, and then leave both the bread and the money out until New Year’s Day morning.  The belief is that by putting the bread and money out, Brad and I will have all of the food and money we need in the new year.

4.  Allie, my Mom, and I had plans to make jewelry at Polka Dots, a little Boutique in Lansing.  Well, the day we were planning to go, we found out it was closed until after the New Year.  Instead of getting bummed, Allie took matters into her own hands and googled until she found a place close by called The Bead Boutique.  We called and they were open.  Score.  We spent the afternoon letting our creative juices flow.  I ended up making a cluster necklace (I forgot to get a pic) while Allie and my Mom made bracelets.

That afternoon was a trip.  I am NOT including you Mom, when I say we were surrounded by a few comical senior citizens. Here’s a sample conversation from our afternoon:

Old Man: So what do you do?

Me:  I’m a pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teacher.

Old Man:  Oh, I thought you were in college.

Me:  Nope, this is my 7th year teaching.

Then I say to Allie, “I need to get moving faster on this necklace.”

Old Man’s Wife:  You said you were a pastor?

Me:  No, I am a teacher.

Old Man’s Wife:  You look like you are in high school.  I was surprised to hear you were a pastor.

Old Man:  She’s a pastor of 5 year olds, Josephine!

Allie and I had to pinch ourselves under the table so we didn’t bust a gut laughing.

5.  So, Allie ended up back in the hospital on Wednesday.  Thank you to everyone who sent messages, prayers, etc.  As of this afternoon, she was allowed to go home, with the instructions of having to go to Baltimore for more tests.

I have been asked this a few times…No, Allie does not have POTS and EDS too.  She has a rare autoimmune disease called Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) Vasculitis.  It seems that she had a flare but (knock on wood) the nurses and doctors were able to get it under control fairly quickly.

I have realized this week that I am a better sick person than a loved one of a sick person.  I must work on my coping skills.  It’s such a helpless feeling.