A hodge podge and a little test...

Howdy folks, just a hodge podge to update you on, I've been a slacker for sure. Greta is up to a whopping 9lbs 6oz, and just shy of 20inches. I feel for all those who wrote and said, my kid was more than that when he was born. I honestly can't imagine - I've seen it, but I can't imagine it for myself. Greta would have missed out on a lot of outfits!

I know her weight because we had our first office visit with Public Health, it was raining so hard that the streets were flooding, the parking lot looked more like a lake then a place to safely park a vehicle, but it didn't seem to phase her much. The nurse warned us we would hear crying like we had never before, she was right, Greta didn't care much for needles at all. Thankfully she is not following in my footsteps - she had no reactions to the needle. I was quite worried, I kept asking if my allergies would potentially be Greta's too, the nurse just said no, although no doubt wanted to hit me on the side of the head and tell me she'll add my comment to the psycho first time mothers book the write in and discuss at the staff Xmas Party.

Since Greta did fair out so well, we headed to NB, just the two of us. I should have taken a picture, the kid needs her own damn vehicle. It was ridiculous the amount of stuff, I think I'm going to advocate for the drivers license to be dropped, as 16 years of carrying her stuff greatly affects my shopping habits. Between the stroller, bouncey seat, play pen, then a suitcase of clothes, diapers, food, a few things for me...yikes. I could barely shop! She was in the back seat with loads of stuff. I bought a few Xmas presents on our journey, a few for her (not like she noticed), and started to pick up my Xmas wrap. Nothing like spending the last week of August at Price Club surrounding by Xmas items.

My niece Haley returned to the Island with us, we had an interesting talk on the way back. I being as anti drug as I am start telling her she is never ever, ever to do drugs. She assures me that she will never (I'm sure every adult heard that before), but I was informed that taking one cigarette takes 5 minutes off your life and drugs even more - they teach that at school!!! They certainly didn't teach that when I was 10 years old, but times are different now. She then informs me she is going to get a Sante Fe like me when she is 16, so I told her that turning 16 doesn't mean she gets a car, it means she gets a license - this was news to her!!! So I explained that she will need to go to university, get a good job, then maybe she will be able to afford a Santa Fe. This conversation was sinking in, until she asked how much, I said $40,000 and she told me she thought they would be $100...Oh, she has a lot of disappointment coming her way. She has changed her mind a little, didn't think saving $40,000 by the time she was 16 would be possible.

And the latest health update - I am alive!!! They performed the 2nd attempt of the liver biopsy this morning and they were successful at getting the samples, 3 in total. I was told I did good - otherwise known as, you didn't move or breath when we told you to stop breathing so the needle didn't puncture my lung or galbladder. Although I had a test run, it was very scary still. The nurses were wonderful, when they all recognize you, that isn't always a good sign that I'm healthy, I know all of their names, stuff about their kids and husbands, I know how to add an allergy to their computer system (seems to hold most of them up) and I can point out the veins that have collapsed so they won't puncture it again. I arrived at 7am, check in, get my allergy braclet on that is now so full they don't all fit in the white area that can be written on. I am immediately sent for blood work, despite having this done already, they wanted to ensure nothing changed. The funny part of this, as I'm walking down the hall with my file (I am of course reading it just to see if they have mental patient written on it somewhere), blood type and group is listed - pretty darn sure that hasn't changed, but no doubt, they recorded it wrong somewhere so better safe than sorry. They did that in case I needed a blood transfusion (which I didn't), they also check to make sure my blood will clot, success - we could proceed. I get in to my little room, have my locker for my clothes and they give me the biggest hospital gown I think they make. I'm not sure who this sucker was made for, but I could wrap it around me 3 times. The nurse assigned to deal with me (I mean care for me) got the IV in two tries...better than the 4 attempts last time. She did apologize for the massive bruise she caused, how nice!

Anyway, I get wheeled off to my procedure, no privacy in this hospital at all, they need underground tunnels, or secret passage ways, I just look like a sick patient being pushed around the halls. I guess I am, but the rest of the world doesn't need to know that. I am greeted with open arms by the same two nurses who were with me on the 1st Attempt, they were very reassuring, had the epi pen on standby and chatted about anything and everything but my liver. Then it came - the ativan. Seemed I was having a bit of a breakdown and anxiety attack, so they thought it would calm me down. It did work a bit - I was still crying, BUT, I kept my make up intact, they didn't have to take the towel to my face and wipe away tears like last time. I have decided that ativan should be a daily pill I take, why not, it will relax me, allow me to be under the influence so I can tell people where to go nicely and in a relaxed state, and I think it's rather cheap! They final have the room ready, Mom is given a seat in the hall way, she is upset because I yet again was talking about cancer and asking them to point things out on the ultrasound if they saw a tumour, they both said they are not expecting cancer, to get that out of my mind, people have biopsies all the time for other diagnostic tests. I know that too, but hard when you are from a family where cancer has affected so many to not think biopsy=cancer. Anyway, that is where the tears flowed a bit more, Mom was upset about this conversation too...The Dr comes in, I informed him he had one shot, after that, I was out of there. The anesthetic hurt like hell, burned, stung, felt like the needle when right through my entire body, but no reaction, it was a different kind of anesthetic and it definitely froze. Thankfully they didn't have to go in through my chest, this time I had to lie on my side and they went in between my ribs, so the incision is very high, but 3 separate samples were taken, the needle sounds like a little gun, the biggest risk is that I would jump from the noise, believe me, when you know that is a risk, even though the noise is bothersome each time, I was damn still...I send a farewell to my nurses as they took me to recovery, and I'm on to another great team in the recovery room. That part was a bit groggy, as I had to lie on my right side the entire time, I couldn't be nosey and see who else was in the recovery room with me, this is both good and bad. Good that I didn't have to see someone barfing or half naked across the room, bad because I have no fun stories to share! Recovery takes a while after this procedure, 5 hours of being monitored and having my vitals checked non stop, pretty much impossible to sleep. The nurse would tell me to shut my eyes and sleep for a bit, but just as I did - she was back poking me. Again, I have learned, you just don't sleep or rest in the hospital. So, that is a quick update. I'm in quite a bit of pain now, my liver, mixed with the post prego hormone crap has me having hot flashes non stop - God bless those in menopause - I am feeling the pain. I am not allowed to do much of anything, not even pick up the baby, I will behave, as internal bleeding sounds like a real drag.

Hope your week goes well, pretty boring post I know, I'll do something stupid or clumsy soon enough, fear not.

Toodles.