Updating...

Wow, it has been a while since I last posted.  Even though not that much interesting stuff has happened, I will still do an update.

The last time I posted, I was prepping for a colonoscopy.  Last Monday morning, I went in and had the procedure done and it went very well.  After having to go through the prep, the thing I worried about most was having the IV inserted, but the nurse who did it was WONDERFUL and I barely felt the needle go in.  I knew NOTHING after about 30 seconds of the Demerol and Versed* being put into the IV--unfortunately, I didn't know too much for the next couple days, either.  Demerol leaves me with a terrible drug hangover--it always has.  So, I slept through Monday, Tuesday, and part of Wednesday.  Actually, I didn't feel 'like myself' again until this past weekend.  But, I got the results and everything was fine--with the exception of finding one polyp and I continue to have my 'Preparation H' issues.  Because the polyp was the type that doesn't become cancerous, I won't need to go back again for another 10 years.  YAY!  I left the hospital with a handful of papers, one of which had three pictures that were taken during the procedure:  one of the very top of my colon, one of my polyp, and one of my other 'issue.'  Now I have more inappropriate pics for a bathroom gallery, should I decide to do one.  ;)

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So, for whatever reason, last week was my time to have medical procedures done.  On Wednesday, I went and had my mammograms.  As far as medical tests are concerned, mammograms are one of the easiest to go through.  I have always been pretty lucky with the techs who have done my mammograms, as they have caused me very little discomfort.  I know some women have a difficult time, but it has always been rather straight forward for me.  And things are even faster and easier than they ever were with the new digital imaging equipment that our hospital now has--I was in and out within 30 minutes.  You can't ask for any better than that.

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I don't know how many people pay much attention to the weather in other parts of the country from where they live.  But if you HAD heard about us last week, you would have found out that winter paid a visit--pretty much for the first time all season.  The last weekend of February found us getting hit by tons of wet, heavy snow and then last Wednesday we got another dump-on.  In total, we got somewhere in the neighborhood of two feet of snow in a few days.  While some areas did experience power outages, things went pretty well here in the UP.  Of course, school was called off for most of the peninsula for most of last week and some of the days it seemed like the entire UP was closed for the duration.  But as much as it wanted to be winter still, the calendar just doesn't support it--the last couple of days have had very spring-like temps and a good amount of the snow has melted already.  This, of course, has brought new problems: lots and lots of running and standing water.  K had to put the dehumidifier going in the basement because of how wet it is.  Oh, joy.

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Of course, just as the temperatures are heating up, K had to get sick.  Yesterday he started feeling pretty lousy and it seemed as if he was getting a sinus infection.  Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see the doctor until today and I think the delay in medical attention let this get hold of him and he's much worse than he would need to be.  BUT, I'm very thankful that the doctor gave him antibiotics, despite the CDC saying they do nothing for sinus infections.  I really am having a very hard time with this ruling by the CDC.  Is there anyone who has ever had a sinus infection that HASN'T gotten better, quickly, as soon as they are put on antibiotics?  Before I started on allergy meds, I would get at least two sinus infections a year.  Whether I went to see the doctor after two days or a week--sometimes I tried to fight it off by myself--I was much, much better within 24 hours of starting on meds.  I'm not understanding this, at all and this is definitely something I will have to get straight with my doctor.  Or I will just have to not get another sinus infection for the rest of my life.  ;)

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Other than the temperatures, I'm seeing other signs of spring coming.  These days, a lot of my time is spent watching a grey squirrel build a nest.  Well, I can't actually see the nest itself because it is in the topmost branches of our neighbor's tall fir tree, but I watch the critter gathering nesting materials.  Just before the snow came, I saw the squirrel running through our backyard while carrying a newspaper-sized piece of  newsprint.  Even though I saw it with my own eyes, I'm still not sure how the squirrel managed to get that paper up the tree.  And a couple of days later, it did the exact same thing with MORE newsprint.  I can't imagine where the paper was coming from.  I also saw it bring a few mouthfuls of dead leaves up the tree.  Today I watched as the squirrel ran around our yard 'fluffing' the dried, dead grass in several places.  It then went back to each spot and stuffed its mouth full of the grass and went up the tree.  At the rate this nest is being built and the amount of material going into it, the thing will be as big as an eagle's nest before we know it!  One thing I'm betting on, though, with all this building going on is that I WILL get to see baby squirrels this year.  That might prove quite interesting.  

I also got to see my first chipmunk of the season today--a sight that DID NOT make me happy.  I wonder if the squirrels might drive away the chipmunks?  Not my luck, though.

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We received very big news here in this area a couple of days ago.  Our hospital here in town--which is a regional medical facility--is being purchased by Duke Lifepoint Healthcare.  Not only is this supposed to improve healthcare, but they are talking of adding 64 new doctors in the next five years. They are also proposing to construct a new state-of-the-art outpatient surgical center and other improvements to the hospital.  While the thoughts of many new jobs being created by this acquisition is much welcome, the biggest change to this city will be the hospital going from a non-profit, non-tax paying status to a for-profit, tax paying entity.  The boost to the tax base of our city will be phenomenal.  And I certainly hope and pray that this comes to fruition.

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*While the Demerol/Versed combo for sedation works wonders, if you ever need sedation like this, ask for Propofol instead.  From what I understand, you are back into the land of the living within 30 minutes of the procedure being finished.  I believe the reason Propofol isn't quite as widely used as the cocktail I had is because Propofol has to be administered by an anesthesiologist, whereas the cocktail can be given by an RN.  Also, I guess there is a shortage of Propofol right now because it is the drug of choice if there IS a choice.