Thursday and detours...

Good Morning,
It's Thursday and a lot is happening today. I have a bone density test at 1:00 PM, other lab work to follow and then an appointment with Dr. Cohen my rheumatologist at 2:30 PM.
I feel as though I am ready to return to work and I hope that the test results and her expert opinion are all lined up for that to happen. It's now been almost three weeks since I have swallowed a steroid and although the aches and discomfort have increased it's not what it was at this time last year and it is certainly not bad enough to go back on the them.
The side effects of yesterdays injection are the same as weeks past. I am more fatigued than usual today but happily no throbbing headache. While at the doctor today I am going to inquire on changing the injection day from Wednesday to Friday or Saturday so that when I return to work this effect won't slow me down or keep me out of the office.

Detours was the next item on the list.
Do detour signs make you smile? Of course not, at least not yet.
Many times in our lives we will be cruising along with a destination in mind and out of no where, with no warning a detour pops up. I recall one such detour during college. I applied for the school of education and I wasn't accepted. I was devastated and you know what my wise parents said..."Kris, it's just a detour. It doesn't mean you aren't going to get where you want to be, it just means it might take you a little longer to get there. Don't forget to enjoy the unexpected change in the scenery." I am not a teacher, well, not a traditional teacher. I do however have a very important teaching position in life, Jake and Emma and anyone else watching. The unexpected change in scenery is beautiful.
Enjoy life's detours. They were put there for a reason.

Have a great day and thanks again for dropping by to visit with me.

Kris

Hawks

Good Morning,
It took me a little longer to find what I was looking for regarding hawks, but here it is.
I copied and pasted from my cousins wife Michelle's journal entry from March 14th of this year.

"When I was attending UWGB I had a Cultural Diversities course where our Indian Professor shared the significance in their culture on Hawks. She told the story of how she went for a walk and was contemplating whether or not she should join the Peace Corps. When she saw a hawk fly above her and she knew her answer was to join. In that culture if a hawk crosses your path it is a sign of everything will be okay. I applied that moving story to my life. You would not believe how many times I have seen hawks just when I needed to see them."

Many journal entries that kept us updated on their son's health contained amazing hawk sightings. I would bet, that if you applied this theory to your life you would be amazed not only at the number of times you are consumed with worrisome thoughts but then how often you are sent a "winged reminder" that everything will be okay. I know I have.

I believe it is our responsibility to share words of encouragement and hope whenever possible. You just never know the situation of the person on the receiving end.

SMILE ON.

I'm alright

Good Morning,
I went for a walk this morning and tuned my ipod into my favorite singer/songwriter, Phil Vasser. He wrote a song called "I'm Alright" (I think he wrote it for another artist)
The chorus is "I'm all, I'm all, I'm alright....it's a beautiful day, not a cloud in site, so I guess I'm doing alright." The song just makes me smile.
I am alright :0)
Not sure if you read my sister "Roo"'s comment on the last blog post but this Thursday is opening day of Summerfest. Phil Vasser will be performing at the Briggs and Stratton Big Backyard at 8:30. In years past I have been there with Bill, our friends Kim and Joe, my sister Vicki and others.....I will miss that this year. Summerfest requires alot of walking and standing and dancing and although fun, it wouldn't be the wisest way for me to utilize my energy.
The theme of this years 40th anniversary of Summerfest is "Smile On". That's perfect.
I shall "smile on" and I hope you will too.
Thursday also marks my next doctor appointment. I will have a series of tests done and it is my hope that together my doctor and I can decide when I can go back to work. There is the possibility that I will be able to wean from another medication called Imuran (azathioprine). I am not sure the side effects of that but I will be sure to get the details and let you know what I can expect.

Quote for the day:
" If you don't scale the mountain, you can't see the view." - Author Unknown-

I believe I owe you a few bits of information regarding hawks and bicycle pedels and other items of that nature. I will work on that later today. Check back in when you have a chance.
Take Care.
Kris

Just ask...

Good Morning.
I haven't fallen off the planet. I am logging in from my sister Sherry's house in Minnesota.
As hard as it is to admit, or say out loud, I don't have the energy level needed to keep up with Jake and Emma now that they are out of school for the summer. A plan is in place for them to start summer camp through an area park and recreation program next week but this week needed a solution.
Pride went on the back burner and I asked for help.
Guess what happened? I got help.

1. My mom and dad took care of the driving
2. My sister and her family and grandpa and grandma are taking a wonderful role in creating some awesome summer memories for them.
3. I am resting when I need rest
4. The kids are having a wonderful time

I've had to ask for help more times than I can count over the past year and although it isn't always easy, it has always worked out.

Please don't be too proud to ask for help and support and certainly don't wait until you get sick or are so desperate you have no choice in the matter. If you were meant to do everything by yourself then what is your family for or why were you blessed with those wonderful friends or great coworkers or a supportive church (the list could go on and on) The people that love and care for you really do want to help out. If you have a minute take time to review the lyrics from the song "Lean on Me" this week. I think if you do a google search on "song lyrics" you should be able to find them. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. Have a great day.

Kris

Quick update

I saw Dr. Cohen this afternoon.
Apparently the pain in my toe is indeed osteoarthritis.
She proposed two solutions: cortisone shot to the toe or a 5 day zap of prednisone.
We decided that because I was weened from oral steriods less than a week ago that the shot was the way to go. To add to the excitment, I had Jake and Emma with me. Great opportunity for me to show them how shots are not bad. I put on my brave mommy face and they watched the doctor with great interest and enthusiasm. It was fun to hear them give Bill the play by play report when he got home. They were really very excited about it and reported how brave I was. They were so proud of me.
The toe does not feel great right now but I was assured that by tomorrow I would be walking comfortably again. No ballet dancing though per the doctor. That won't be an issue.
Still hoping to find a good deal on Dansko sandals while in Minneapolis next week.

Thanks for checking in.
Kris

FROGS

I never really did like frogs. Doesn't matter if they are the real ones or decorative ones they just never struck my fancy... until I looked at them with a different set of eyes.

My cousin Kevin and his wife Michelle recently had asked friends and family to pray for a little boy named Antonio and his family. They met Antonio while they spent time at Childrens Hospital here in Milwaukee with their son, Nathaniel. Families at Children's Hospital are given the opportunity to set up a "Caring Bridge" (blog) to keep people up to date on the progress of their childrens stay at the hospital.
In Antonio photo album on his "caring bridge" blog he always had frogs in the pictures they took of him. Big frogs, little frogs, frog pillows, frog flags, (you get the picture) This little boy loved frogs.
Do you know why this little boy loved frogs? For Antonio and his family frogs brought strength and courage and comfort.
FROG to the Perez family meant: Fully Relying On God.

Well, I will never look at a frog with yuck or disgust again.

Here is another every day thing that might cross your path on a crappy day and you will be reminded of what FROG's can mean.

Have a lovely day.

I have this quote in my office at work.
To work people reading this....I miss you.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
-Marcel Proust-


on a separate note - I wore tennis shoes the last two days and my toe feels better. I had an appointment with my physical therapist yesterday she looked at my toe and suggested I see my rheumatologist regarding my toe and another weird symptom I have. My skin hurts. It's too hard to explain but if my doctor has an explanation I will let you know more after I see her.

Ouch

I've had an ache in my big toe for a couple of months now. Today, however, it was worthy of a trip to the doctor. Could it be the steriods were hiding something? I am willing to tolerate a certain amount of pain in exchange for not taking steriods but I am hoping there is another solution. I had an x-ray done. I will know more tomorrow.
The doctor said it is likely osteoarthritis, could be a bunyon, could be gout (but she doesn't think so because it isn't bright red). There is definitely inflammation.
Her advise until the results are in: Ibuprofen, keep weight off of it, and check out Stan's (good for your feet store).
Shoe shopping, per the doctors orders, what could make a woman happier?
A sale at the shoe store could make me happier, that's what. I'm not used to spending so much money on shoes and then to try and figure out which ones will go with everything because there is no way I am buying more than one pair.
I'm waiting. It is very likely that I will be receiving a cortisone shot in which case my cute shoes and even my not so cute shoes should do just fine.

I told a dear friend I would look for a quote regarding "change" for today. I didn't find what I was looking for but I found this:

"Eat a live toad first thing in the morning and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day" -author unknown-

Tomorrow I will tell you about the frog.
Have a great day. Thanks for checking in.
Kris