I Need Playtime Too

A new study finds that pediatric cancer patients can avoid anxiety required anesthesia before radiation treatment... by... (wait for it) ...substituting playtime. This was the result of  work by a nurse at Johns Hopkins who found that there was no standard protocol other than to routinely give anesthesia to pediatric patients.

"What we found was that we had no standard; we were just basically signing kids up for anesthesia because they were anxious, because of the unknowns. We had complications happen under anesthesia and radiation. Another component was that it was taking up a lot of time. Now, with this program, we can avoid the risk and complications that come along with anesthesia as well as give back that precious time to the family. Kids get stressed staying in radiation too long."
There is a commercial that features a male pediatric oncology nurse giving a patient a shot (I think) and distracts her by singing a song with her. Why only for kids?

I could use playtime to avoid anesthesia before some stressful occasions. Why not?

Honestly every time I go for some stupid scan I don't want to sit in a chair and stress about what they may or may not find after two cancer diagnoses. Nor do I want to watch a TV program on something I don't care about. Nor do I want to pretend to read a book or articles on my tablet.

I would prefer to be playing games and having fun. Or out having coffee with a friend. Or anywhere but in a sterile waiting room watching my blood pressure go through the roof.

Let's start a movement to make hospital waiting rooms less sterile and more focused on patients needs. Where I go waiting rooms have padded chairs, wifi, TV, and usually exterior windows. I want more than that. I want snacks. I want volunteers wandering around talking to patients to help them relax. I want bright colors. (I really just want to be healthy and never have to go to the hospital but I also know that's not going to happen.)

Medical care has come a long way in terms of being more patient friendly but I think there is a long way to go to help reduce patient stress.

Living with medical errors

I have a picture some place of when I went for knee surgery in 2001 of me home from the hospital with a big bandage on my right knee and the word "NO" scrawled in big letters on  my right knee. This was written by the surgeon after triple confirming with me.

Then I have the memory of me after gall bladder surgery in 2008 where I heard the nurses talking about the excessive bruising on my abdomen after a laproscopic procedure. Basically I heard the doctor must have been really rough on me because of the size and speed at which the bruise arrived - and ho w long it hurt afterwards.

In the past few years the state of Massachusetts has started requiring hospitals to report medical incidents - anything from a fall, surgery problem, wrong medicine, bedsores - annually. In the past three years - 2011-2013 - the rate has risen extensively from 366 incidents to 444 to 753 in 2013. And you say 'why the increase?' How about the electronic reporting system was adopted in 2012.

This all makes me say hmmmm..... Its nice the state wants the data reported and is requiring the electronic reporting system so that things can't be swept under the rug, so to speak. But what about me as a patient?

There is all sorts of advice given but I think it goes down to your comfort level. Lets face it, errors happen in life, 'to err is human'. But as patients we need to speak up and ask questions - what will happen, what should I expect, and communicate with family members so they can ask questions.

I would like to say that of the 753 events in 2013, 282 or 37.5% were from falls. The next largest group was 230 or 30.5% were from bedsores. The leading number after that was 44 serious injury or death from medication error.
 

Justice is served

A few years back, a French company was accused of selling breast implants that were prone to rupture and possibly even filled with toxic contents. Lovely. They were sold in 65 countries world wide and affected 300,000 women. There was even a suspected death from a ruptured implant in 2010.

Usually when we hear about these cases, companies are fined and the executives who made the bad decisions end up in tropical exiles living out their days on the company's funds. Not this time.

The president of the company will spend 4 years in a French prison. He was also fined something like 75,000 Euros. And four other executives also got lesser sentences. And there is still a manslaughter trial pending in the death in 2010.

I can say justice was served in this case.

Am I supposed to be stressed?

I am really not stressed about my big needle adventure this morning. Am I supposed to be? I am very much looking forward to pain relief. I hate/dislike needles themselves.

But I have been through this procedure three times already so I  know what is expected. I have had probably six or seven other back injections as well. The last time I was there, the nurses all thought they knew me.

Well I will enjoy not being stressed. I am hungry of course but will have to wait to eat - no solid food after midnight.  And I could use some water - no liquids for two hours prior to arrival.

Upon my return, I will take a nap with an ice pack (and a cat who likes to snuggle). If/when I wake up, I might:

• fold some laundry.
• convince my husband its his turn to make dinner
• prepare for a meeting I am having here tomorrow (which means I need to tidy the dining room).
• And possibly go to the bookstore with my husband.

Of all those, my husband cooking dinner would be nice but tidying the dining room and living room before my meeting is important. I should probably also even look at my notes.

Damn, that meeting could stress me  out if I'm not careful.

Its Day 1

I am so excited! I am so looking forward to having needles stuck in my spine - you wouldn't believe!

This is what the procedure will be like. No beverages or food after midnight, clear liquids till two hours before arrival. We arrive at 815 am, check in, change in to the LOVELY gown (ugly so no one steals them), vitals checked, and IV started.

Eventually I will end up in the procedure room where I will lie on my stomach, they will crank up the IV and I will mostly be asleep. They will stick me six times in the spine with some kind of local anesthetic. Then they will stick in six heated needles in the same place (between the vertebrae) that will kill off the nerves (good bye evil nerves). I will wake up and have some local pain - an ice pack usually does nicely.

I will nap for a while to recover from the anesthesia and convince my husband to cook dinner. I may need pain pills and ice but it should be okay. After a day or two the area where they stuck all the needles will stop hurting locally. More importantly by Thursday am my overwhelming back pain should be 80-90% relieved. That is why I am so excited.

I hate needles, IVs, things that might cause a 'pinch' and all sorts of fun procedures. But this is one which will immediately improve my life. One day, one hour, and 11 minutes til we check in. I can't wait.

However this isn't to say, the nerves won't grow back and I'll have to go through this again.

Count down day 4

I have been pretty miserable these past few days. My pain meds are my friends. I take them everywhere. I wake up hurting. I hate my back. It might even be making me a touch cranky. Everything I do makes my back hurt.

Therefore I have a plan.

If everything I do makes my back hurt, I might as well skip the things I dislike (laundry, cleaning the kitchen, etc) and do the things I like (going to the beach). I mean if I end up in the same boat either way, I might as well have fun before I end up in pain.

Today we are going to the beach. Low tide is 430 or so. We will go around 1, get there a little before 2, leave around 530 or so and have clams for dinner. Not the healthiest and definitely not on the diet (but dinner last night was a yogurt) but I am pretty limited in what I can do so I might as well enjoy myself.

But only four days to go.

Tomoroow, a/k/a count down day 3, will be errand and laundry day - chance of rain so why not. I might even go to the gym. And take my pain pills.

Monday, a/k/a count down day 2, I will work 8-2 and take my pain pills.

Tuesday, a/k/a count down day 1, I will also work 8-2. I should also get a phone call telling me what time to arrive at the hospital - currently around 830 am. No food or liquids after midnight. But I will still take my pain pills with a sip of water.

Wednesday is THE day. If all goes as scheduled, we will arrive around 830, check in, change into a lovely gown (I was told they are ugly so no one will steal them), and see my old friends - the nurses in the day clinic. (Every time I go there, they all look at me and ask me if I work at the hospital or if they know me from some place else.)

I will get an IV, take a nap due to sedation (best kind of procedure - I can sleep through it), and wake up as the newer and improved less painful back. Well there will be localized pain where all the needles go in but after it should be MUCH better.

So I will suck it up for the next four days. (I'm so good at that - ask my husband....)

Maybe next weekend I will feel better enough to go to the beach again without my bottle of pain meds.

Blah, blah, blah - with your medical history we have to be sure

Yesterday I had my annual physical. Or Woman Wellness Exam or whatever the correct term is for it these days.

It did start off interestingly while I was waiting to check in at the desk, there was a woman who was being told she can't call the doctor's office every day making demands, should go back to her psychiatrist, and perhaps become an inpatient at a psychiatric facility. We'll just say that I was very happy that was not me. My health/mental stability is not that bad.

My primary care, who I like, just had a baby and is out for the summer on maternity leave so I met with her nurse practitioner who was one I had not met before. She was very nice and very thorough in her questioning after she let me go through my list of questions. We talked about my ganglion cyst which makes my wrist hurt, we talked about my arthritis, we talked about back pain, car accident, back procedures, previous surgeries, my general health, how much I exercise, and more. Then she examined me and thought I was pretty normal (wow!).

I left with two to-do items - one is a cholesterol blood test which can be done the next time I have blood work done - every two months for rheumatoid, every six months for thyroid - so whenever the next one rolls around.

The other is a much bigger test (where I might feel a 'little pinch') that she wants done in the next two weeks. I can understand wanting the test but I didn't realize she considered it to be more urgent. That part I don't like. I'm not looking forward to the test itself but really dislike it when I have tests which must be done right away.

Grrr.... All the little 'what if' voices in your head start to kick in when I have 'urgent' tests.

It is scheduled for July 5 - which is fine because we had no plans to go away for the weekend - which is 2 1/2 weeks. I have no idea why it is so urgent. But of course I get to stress about it. I will take my avoidance mode until then and discuss it in more detail when I feel like it.

Count Down - Day 9

I am day 9 of my count until the day of nasty needles. I can't wait. that tells you how much pain I have been in if I can't wait to be sedated and stuck with  numerous needles into my spine.

I am on am opiate pain patch that provides 10 mcg/hr of pain meds. That works wonders but its not enough these days. I also have another prescription pain pill which I can take up to two every six hours with  no more than 8 tablets in a 24 hour period.

I used to take one every 6-8 hours. Now I take one every six hours. Yesterday afternoon I took a second one two hours after the first one because it wasn't making a dent even though I also had an ice pack. Two pills have a tendency to make me stupid(er), something I try to avoid at all costs so I rarely, if ever take a second one.

I just could not get comfortable and wasn't able to stand for more than a couple of minutes. I started cooking dinner in two minute intervals - go to the kitchen and rinse the spinach and leave. Then back to the kitchen to put out spices and make marinade for salmon (garlic, mustard, maple syrup) and leave.

Then I got brilliant and set everything up and delegated to my husband that he could empty the dishwasher and cook dinner because it wasn't happening for me. It was very difficult to get comfortable last night so I could sleep as well.

This week I am taking it easy. Exercise every other day at most. I will work for six hours today (if I can) and then come home and put my feet up and do whatever it takes to get comfortable. Which may be a fat lot of nothing but whatever it takes I will do it.

Count down

I am on day 16 of my countdown until my next back procedure where they will sedate me and stick nasty needles in my back and kill off the evil nerves which cause such pain. My back has gotten worse and worse over recent weeks causing me to decline fun events.

I am managing my resources so I can get through my work week. Last week I called in sick and to make up for it, I am working four days this week - which will be a stretch for me. It is my goal but I might not make it.

This weekend I had to decline offers for fun events and stay home to rest my back. Not fun but I did get some gardening in. Only 16 days to go.

Sometimes its nice not to remember

Last year I had a series of very UNfun back procedures. One of them was a radiofrequency denervation which is just a fancy word for sticking hot needles in your back. I did not remember it as a fun experience. However my memory is wrong which is why I have my blog to remind me of what I did last year, and last week, and yesterday. (And you thought I wrote this to entertain you - its actually a written memory for me so I can look things up that I can't remember.)

Last May 19 I had the same procedure. I remembered it as being an awful nasty experience that I didn't want to repeat. But I am wrong. I read my blog from that day and it turns out I took a nap during it and didn't feel it. Now I am much happier. I do want some breakfast and can't eat because I will be sedated. I think this happened to me last year. I have informed my husband that for dinner tonight I want chocolate ice cream with nuts in it.

I am sure my day will be filled with needles - as in IV and back injections - but hopefully not a lot of pain to go with it. After this back procedure, I have scheduled a nap and then I get to go record a public service announcement on the local cable station at 4pm. I hope I am awake for it. I will set an alarm clock. That would be good not to record snoring.

Then I need to figure out when I can see my back pain doctor to schedule some of those really unfun procedures to work on the rest of my back. All those procedures I had last year have worn off so they have to be repeated. They can be repeated as often as yearly and if I get 18-24 months out of each one that is fine by me.

So I have nothing profound to write about today. I will report tomorrow on how I am feeling and maybe I'll be inspired to write about something by then. But right now I am starving and all I can think about is what I want to eat when I get home. Maybe I'll have ice cream for lunch.

A failure to communicate - and why does the patient suffer?

This story was told to me about a friend of a friend. This woman was suffering from back pain so she went to her doctor. The doctor said we can help you by putting rods in your back. Her surgery was scheduled and she showed up on the appointed day. The anesthesiologist asked about her medications and found she was using Fentanyl patches for pain. He said he couldn't sedate her until she was off the patches for two weeks. Her surgery was cancelled and rescheduled for two weeks later.

She showed up Fentanyl patch free for the second surgery, was on the gurney being prepped and someone asked about her EKG. She hadn't had an EKG in two years so they postponed the surgery again so she could have one. At her EKG they found an irregularity which required treatment and was compared to her two year old EKG which also showed the irregularity that required treatment that she was never told about.

Now this poor woman is busy with all sorts of cardiac fun and games and her back still hurts. At how many points do we have a failure to communicate? A lot. I feel the biggest gaps were in the doctor's offices. The doctor who ordered the EKG should have made sure the results were given to her with recommendations to follow up with a cardiologist. The doctor who ordered the back surgery should have had his office go through all the pre-surgical requirements with the woman so should would have known not to use the Fentanyl patches and to order an pre-surgical EKG.

A little blame goes to the patient in this case as well. If she had an EKG two years ago, she should have asked her doctor for the results if she never got them. She is not to blame for not getting pre-surgical information from the other doctors' offices.

Talking and communicating are big parts of medical care. You need to talk to your doctors - pretend they don't talk to each other like temper mental teenagers and that they don't look at any other doctor's notes in your file. When they send you for a procedure (a/k/a medical adventure) you should ask is there any preparation for it and what about the results.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate." A great movie quote but also unfortunately all too common.

This morning I am in avoidance mode

I am in avoidance mode this morning. I am scheduled to have an endoscopy this morning. An endoscopy is not a big test. They put you to sleep and stick a camera down your throat to look for bad things - mostly to tell you how bad your heart burn really is.

I was very concerned about the idea of a camera down my throat because I googled it and read all the descriptions of what they do. Then I asked my husband how it was when he had one - and he said it was no big deal. I also asked the nurse who called to ask me all the questions and she said they put you to sleep and you wake up and its over. So that is now okay.

But with my medical history, they have to be sure. Which always scares the crap out of me - because of my medical history and needing to being sure. How many bad things are found in routine tests? Have that happen a couple of times and then see how calm you are. And my doctor called last night to confirm why I am having the test she ordered... Does she need a reminder?

So here is my day so far. I couldn't sleep very well and the cat wanted to get up at 5 so I did. He didn't want food or to snuggle, he wanted, the indoor cat, to go out. Now I am wasting time on line. I did slightly redesign my blog. The cat is now napping by my feet. I would like some breakfast and am extremely thirsty - but only because I can't eat or drink for six hours prior. I did cheat and have more than a tiny sip of water with my morning prescriptions and just had a second not so tiny sip of water with my second round of morning prescriptions.

Sooner or later I'll stop dawdling and take a shower and brush my teeth. I find humor in the fact that when they talk about prep for these procedures, they always stress brushing your teeth. I hope at the end of the test they tell me they found nothing too interesting and I get to take it easy this afternoon because I was sedated and am not allowed to make important decisions for 24 hours. Maybe my husband will decide whats for dinner. Tomorrow morning I go back to my doctor and we get to talk about all the uninteresting things they found. I have an hour before I have to leave but I'm not ready to take a shower yet so its time to turn on the TV.

What was this supposed to do?

Today I am off to the pain doctor to talk about next steps because of my new areas of pain. Well, they aren't new areas, they have been there but since other areas hurt more, I could ignore the other ones. Now these hurt more, the others that were treated hurt less, so off we go.

The other topic of conversation is to discuss the healing time and issues required from my last procedure at the end of July. I have been wondering about this. I realize I have been a little lax about making sure I understand what a procedure was supposed to do and what the healing period would be from it. You would think I would have learned by now that I need to make sure I understand these things.

Here's the process, the doctor tells you s/he recommends this next procedure ('fun' medical adventure with needles that might leave scarring). You listen for a minute or two and agree. They get the scheduler in to pick a date, you sign a release and wait for your day. But wait, why are you doing this? What is this going to cure/resolve/prove? What are the risks? What are the benefits? What is healing time if any? DID I ASK? No.

Now there is a study out (I swear there is a new medical study going on all the time - your tax dollars and medical dollars at work) that says there is a disconnect in doctor-patient communication. I think I agree. The article is blaming the doctors for this but I am not sure its actually all their fault. It takes two to tango as they say and I think the patient has equal responsibility to learn about their next medical adventure before it happens (unless it is done on an emergency basis and is being rushed).

I think I need to make a little list of questions to be asked before the next procedure, whenever that may be (but could be scheduled as early as this afternoon when I see the doctor):

1. What is this going to do? What is the goal of this?
2. Why is it right for me?
3. What can I expect after this? Is there a healing/recovery time period?
4. How long until I feel the benefits of this?
5. What are the risks of the procedure?
6. What else do I need to know before this procedure?

Now I am sure this is just a rough start but I should come up with a list of questions that I want answered before the procedure takes place. Its my body and I should make sure I understand.

If this is what healthcare reform is all about, I'm really not sure

Yesterday, I had a lovely medical procedure on my back. My husband went with me. Usually I have been dropped off by someone and picked up by someone else so am basically on my own for the duration which is not a problem. Most of the time, no one is allowed to go with me. But yesterday's included sedation so I knew I would be waking up for a bit and preferred to have my husband there to hang out with me.

We arrived at the hospital in a timely manner (in other words, with all my procrastination, we weren't late). I was checked in and allowed to change into a 'lovely' gown with coordinated robe and my husband was sent off to the waiting room. Then they stuck an IV in the back of my hand - ow, ow, ow, and it bled all over the place. After a brief wait, I was taken in to the 'minor operating room' and they started the sedation which was meant for me to be pain free but able to hear them.

They started the needles and the doctor remarked that insurance was no longer going to cover the procedure. Hmmm.... I couldn't talk but I definitely wanted to follow up on the remark. I asked the nurse about this as she brought me to recovery and she said as part of health care reform we are going to see more of this, that insurance companies are going to stop covering procedures because, in the case of this procedure, they don't think it works. But why is an insurance company making decisions about what procedures work and don't? Isn't it up to a medical professional to decide what is the appropriate course of treatment? Who went to medical school here and has seen that patient? Not the insurance companies - they are just faceless voices on the phone after long periods of being on hold and told 'you are important to them'.

I am calling my insurance company this morning to be sure I am covered. The hospital admissions department was supposed to get a pre-approval last month when the procedure was ordered but I want to make sure. Actually I was told by one of the nurses that it is a best practice when ever a procedure is ordered to call your insurance company to ensure you are covered and get their name and a confirmation number of the call.

Anyway, so after the procedure yesterday I was in recovery with my husband. My pain level went up to somewhere around 9.5 out of 10. It was awful. They got me some percocet and it barely touched it. I was also shaking uncontrollably. And crying. And squishing my husband's hand. Then they gave me morphine and then some more morphine. Then they gave me Demerol. The pain finally subsided and the shaking eased up. They told me to go home and sleep and wait for the drugs to get out of my system. The theory was the shaking was a result of all the medications in my system.

I woke up 3 hours later feeling shaky but not shaking with my pain somewhat bearable. I figured out by looking in the mirror the pain wasn't where they did the procedure by in my hip instead. I slept so so last night. Today I will unproductively work from home and catch up on my DVR shows. After I call my insurance company that is.

PS I just called my insurance company and was told if a procedure is deemed medically necessary by the doctor, they approve it.

The Medical School Decoder Ring

There is a project afoot to allow normal people to understand doctor-speak without going to medical school. Its called the Open Notes project but I think it really should be the Medical School Decoder Ring project. I'm all for it.

One of my favorite activities while hanging around pre and post surgery is to read my own medical file. Usually I understand most of it but not all. I have asked the doctors and nurses around to translate. Sometimes I get a copy to take home and then start googling all the words and phrases. But even with that, it doesn't always make sense. For example when the doctor writes 'patient denies' to the non doctor, it means you denied sneaking out after bedtime. To the doctor it means you said you don't have shortness of breath (or SOB). They might have written 'patient denies SOB'. And the average non doctor would be confused. Of course I'm not an S.O.B., how dare they write that! I am happy being NERDy (No Evidence of Recurrent Disease). See this is why we need decoder rings.

This morning I woke up early and gave up on trying to go back to sleep. I'm starving and can't have any food. This morning I have to be at the hospital at 830 to check in for another LOVELY back procedure. That would be #5 this year if you are keeping count (or #6 if you include the cortisone shot in my hip last month). This one is a radiofrequency denervation in my right sacroiliac joint where they kill off the nerves with heated needles. This means an IV and lots of needles in my back. I will be sedated and not really remember or feel it. Afterward, I assume I will nap for the afternoon which is why I gave up on trying to go back to sleep. I just have to decide what I want to eat when I get home... I'll figure that out later when my brain wakes up. Clear liquids only after midnight and up to two hours prior, which is now. I had a smidgen of black coffee which is really hard on my stomach so my caffeine level is very low.

Its just a side effect

I hate side effects. What is the side effect of a three hour nap? Waking up at 4 am.

Yesterday went okay as 12 needles worth of fun can be. I got to the hospital and had an hour to wait because I was early so my husband wouldn't be late for work. Normally I would go eat some breakfast but I couldn't eat. I sat in the lobby and knitted and watched CNN.

Finally I motivated to check in and went down to the surgical area. I changed into a lovely gown and coordinated robe that make us all look like other clones... Then the fun began. They had to put in an IV. I have wimpy veins. They have limited options as I have lymphedema arm which is not allowed to be used for IV's, blood pressures, etc. I made a point to drink two glasses of water before my cut off time because it can help with your veins. Basically I think that if you are dehydrated your veins are skinnier.

The first nurse tried. She poked and prodded and then she pulled out her needle and tried the first vein. She didn't get in the vein. But it hurt, more than the tiny pinch she promised and caused some bruising. Then she went to vein number two, which is nice and prominent on the back of my hand. She said that was a rolling vein, meaning it moves around, and she missed again. At this point (thankfully) she gave up and got another nurse who poked and prodded as well and then she tried. It took her some effort but finally after several needle pricks I had my IV. And two other sore spots. Ouch. I will say its not the nurses, its my wimpy veins. This isn't the first time they have had a problem. I asked about this and was told that some days can be better than others and there is not much that I can do about it.

Then we went for the fun part. I was told with the sedation, I wouldn't really feel or remember it. I did feel the first needles. But then I took a nap and it was over. I dozed in the post op area and then came home. My father dropped me off and wanted to come in. I said I was fine and got my bowl of chocolate ice cream, which the cat wanted to share, and then got in bed for just a minute. I had a three hour nap. With the cat. Even though it was 3pm I wanted my grilled turkey and cheese sandwich. I couldn't find them. I went through the entire fridge. I had to settle for left over spinach pie (quite yummy but not the same thing). I have no idea what happened.

I did get some work done after that and had dinner. I did go to bed relatively early. I feel okay this morning but my back definitely is achy sore. It is to be expected after all the needles. I should feel improvement in the next two to six weeks as it takes that long for the nerves to die off. Today I will go to work because I think I can do it. I will bring my ice pack and pain meds and can leave early if I need to.

PS I found the turkey and cheese in the freezer after dinner....

I'm starving

I want breakfast. I want a banana and some Greek yogurt. Its down stairs in the fridge. AND I CAN'T HAVE ANY! Today I am off for my lovely thoracic radiofrequency denervation for which I will be sedated so no food after midnight or water after 2 hours before check in. The whole point of the sedation is so I don't feel it or as they put in vague medicalese 'should not feel anything'. I am overjoyed to think about this. But I check in at 830 this morning and will take 1/2 an ativan when I leave so I don't stress as much.

When I come home, by lunch time, I will have chocolate brownie ice cream and then possibly a turkey sandwich, grilled with cheddar cheese, on rye, with mustard. I will start with the ice cream because I deserve it after the needles adventure. Then get to the turkey sandwich. In the meantime, I will just go with the old dieting trick of drinking another glass of water so I feel full.

I was told after this procedure I will need to take it easy for the rest of the day. Well its a gloomy rainy day so I think herbal tea while watching cooking shows will make me feel better. I also am supposed to do some work from home today. I figure I can be productive for a bit. The cat won't mind, he can hang out with me - he likes that. He thinks he is getting attention while he sleeps.

But in the meantime, my husband thinks we need to leave in an hour so he isn't late for work. I still have to take a shower, get dressed, and do all my (damn) exercises. So perhaps its time to motivate.

a good night's sleep

Yesterday was a tough day. I was not feeling well - mostly from lack of sleep and lots of back pain. I worked at one job and then met a friend for a walk. I am not sure how I got through that walk but I came home and alternated preparing dinner with sitting on the couch and took a pain pill. Then I went to bed early on top of that.

Last night I made a deal with my husband that he would make sure the (damn) alarm clock would not go off this morning. I actually slept for nearly 10 hours. At one point I woke up to feel the cat walking on me. This means he was hungry. Well, I was sleepy so I played possum and he gave up and went some place else. Sometimes he comes and checks to see if we are awake and will get up and give him food.

Today, so far, so good, but it is only 730 am and I am still lying in bed. I will eventually get up. I am meeting friends for a walk at 10 so I can be lazy for a bit. Because of my crazy schedule this week, I actually have to work from home today for a bit. But thanks to a laptop and wifi, that might happen in the back yard in the lounge chair.

Yesterday while I was at work, I was talking about my upcoming back procedure. One of my coworkers asked if I was nervous about it. I don't know if I am nervous but maybe stressed a bit. I mean the two previous times that I had the diagnostic version of this procedure, they were painful. The first time was actually probably one of the worst medical procedures I have ever been through. This time they claim I will be sedated enough not to feel pain but awake enough to hear them talking. Then I went online and read about the potential side effects and warnings. Now I really don't have the warm fuzzies over this.

I think I'll give up thinking about that until next week and enjoy the nice weekend.