Changes

Ah...just when you start to feel comfortable, things get shaken up again. Things change. Change is a constant. You either roll with it, or you bog down and get lost or run over.

I've worked full time with Gwinnett County as a temp for ten months, but was told this week that due to budget cuts all temps are being reduced from 40 hours to 20 hours per week. Okay...I personally cannot survive on 20 hours a week. Unless...I drop our health insurance plan.

And you know what would happen if I drop our health insurance plan, me or Chuck would suffer a stroke or heart attack, and Jess would get some terrible virus and need hospitalization.

What to do? You kick into SURVIVAL MODE...that's what!

So....the day after Labor Day my new schedule kicks in...I will work for G.C. two and half days a week and will find another part time job to pick up the other 20 hours....I hope!

Why not find a whole new full time job???? Because with my step-dad having chemo every other week, I need my Wednesdays free to take him to those appointments. We do have other people who could fill in, but the appointments are very involved and a lot of information is exchanged, and I just don't feel comfortable anyone else taking him except myself or my brother or sister-in-law. My brother is currently in school, and hopefully when he finishes up there will find a job. My sister-in-law's own mother is in need of her care, as is another elderly lady who has been ill, plus her own full time job.

I have had a few panic attacks this week...but walking, deep breathing, meditating and praying, has all helped immensely.

So, as it stands now, I will get one more 'full time' pay check and then it goes to half. I have already contacted my car insurance office and upped my collision deductible and cut out everything else I feel is not necessary. If I have to, I will become one of the terrible statistics in this country right now...a person who does not have health insurance. But I am hoping it doesn't come to that. (Oh and yes, my husband is self employed...so no go on that point).

I am scared of the changes which are coming about, but I am thankful for the constants in my life: Family, friends and God.

"HALF"

Please see my post to Ed's Journey...Wonderful news received today!

MRI follow up

We will not get any news on Ed's MRI done on Monday until next Wednesday. The waiting is so hard! Please keep praying for good news!

Movin'

We had a little 'moving away' party for Arthur and SIL (my oldest daughter and her husband) tonight. Just a few of us got together and ate at their favorite Mexican restaurant and then came to my house and told stories, laughed, and cut up. But we all have to get up and go to work tomorrow, so at 9:00 we called it a night and everyone headed home.

Yes, Arthur and SIL are moving...to Pine Mountain (near Callaway Gardens). Some people think I am so sad, but really I am not. It is only a two hour drive away and we have already planned it out so that we will see each other every other month. One month, they will come spend the weekend here, the next month we will go there and spend the weekend. I'll probably actually see them more than I do now! (With the exception of seeing Arthur every morning as we carpool to work).

Please keep in prayer all the folks who are losing their jobs through lay offs...my cubicle mate, Nancy and a whole lot of others who work for Gwinnett County (county wide), a family member who told us tonight they are losing theirs, and everyone everywhere. Pray for these folks to find new jobs and to survive on unemployment, etc.

Your Prayers Needed!

Please pray for Ed today, he gets chemo treatment #5 today. One more chemo treatment after today and then he gets an MRI of the brain to see if it is reducing the cancer tumor.

Please ask God to let his chemo work to reduce or kill his tumor. Ask him to give the nurses and doctors knowledge to treat him and patience and kindness.

Also, my mom fell in the bathtub night before last. She is sore and needs to be more careful! We don't need two down!

Thanks everyone and have a great day!

Not for the squeemish

I got the stitches out of my hand this past Friday. It was 98% painless, and I got a good report from the doc. The assistant took the stitches out and put steri-strips on...which lasted until I got home. He said ok to get the site wet, but don't soak. Ok, it got wet, not soaked, but it still got water logged and split open. It looks really disgusting.

All in all, this experience from beginning to end was not a pleasant one, but not horrible. Dr. T gave me a hug (and a genuine, caring hug) as I was leaving his office, and just knowing the doc has a heart and is caring, well, that made it all ok. He is a good doc. I would recommend him to anyone. Anytime he knew he hurt me (i.e. as when he injected cortisone a year ago and lidocaine for the surgery) he apologized...said he was sorry he hurt me. Honestly, some docs don't seem to care.


Picture 1. Taken the day after stitches were removed. Oops...got the incision wet and the skin got saturated and the incision seperated. The steristrips the doc applied came off and so I put it together with bandaids.











So here is the ugliness of my hand...the day after stitches removed, and then two days after. It is improving slightly. ( :




Picture 2. Two days after stitches came out...the skin on either side of the incision is soft and gooey. I have to keep a band aid on it at all times. I highly recommend Nexcare bandaids. They make a near-water-tight seal all around the affected area and are very flexible. Mostly this isn't painful except when I bump my hand right on the incision area. Ouch!

Thursday's Guilty Pleasures

I had a long and boring day at work today. Things were stressful enough before we received an email from (the commissioner???) announcing more budget cuts for the county. I took it as a sign that I will a) definitely not be hired by Gwinnett County any time in the next three years, b) will probably be laid off within a month to three months.

Therefore, I left the office feeling a bit let down and a bit anxious, and a bit hopeful. Hopeful? Yes, if they are going to lay me off, let 'em do it now so I can enjoy summer, fall and Christmas at home. ( :

Since I left the office this afternoon I have enjoyed several guilty pleasures:

* Dinner at Arby's. I had the toasted Italian Sub and a nice glass of ice water, and dinner was delicious as I read a magazine in the non-crowded dining area.

* Pedicure at NY nails including bright red nail polish, cute little flower on the big toe (I usually don't go that girl-y, but oh well!), and a very strange selection on the massage chair. I've never used this setting before...it felt like I was sitting on Santa's lap and Santa was getting excited, if you know what I mean. This was very strange feeling. I felt like everyone in the place knew I was getting a 'knee in the butt' sensation and were staring at me! LOL! Oh! and all of this was covered by a gift certificate given to me by Arthur and SIL for Mother's Day. I got two pedicures out that gift certificate!

* Came home, fed the cats and put them out on the porch (for peace and quiet - plus they love it). By-passed the kitchen and living room and came straight to the bedroom and turned on my SOAPS!

* Played on the computer waaaaayyy tooo long, considering I was thinking of taking a computer sabbatical. Rrrriiiiiiggggggggghhhhhhttttttttttt.

Now, gotta let the kitties back inside and get ready for bed!