Blogging about Blogging

First of all- I'm creeping up there on 100 posts! I'll have to think about something fun to do for post 100. (This is post 98)

Second of all, I set some gears in motion yesterday for surgery on my foot, mentioned here, here, here, and here in chronological order. Looks like it will be soon, but not a lot has panned out on the job front right now, and my surgeon is great, so I have to believe that this is the right time.

*Given* that surgery will be soon (this is my 7th or 8th, so there's not so much a fear of the unknown as the fear of the "Oh, not this again...") and given that my last serious surgery was in 2000 (last surgery of any sort was in 2006) I have a tool at my disposal this time that I didn't before: Blogging!!

Is anyone interested in me blogging through this? Is anyone *opposed* to me blogging through this? No gory pictures, I promise. In fact, no pictures at all of me in hospital, I don't want them, and neither do you.

I never intended to become a "medblogger" per se, but writing is amazing therapy... It's not worth losing my readers, though!

On Children's Programming

Disclaimer: I am not a Mom. Unless we count Mackers.

But honestly, the downturn in children's TV since *I* was small kind of freaks me out. When I was a kid, you could pretty well turn on Family Channel with no worries about what you might see. You might see

Katie and Orbie

Maya the Bee

or Madeline, or an assortment of classic Disney.

On Friday nights there was the incredible lineup of TGIF, which when I was a kid, consisted of Boy Meets World, Family Matters, Full House, Step By Step, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

I remember these shows tackling some tough issues: Fitting in, dating, step-families, even child abuse and eating disorders (Thanks, Full House!)

I do not remember any of these characters saying *anything* of the likes of the snarky, irritable, constantly hormonal "tweens" such as Hannah Bratana (I think Corey used that term first?) or Zach and Cody or the blended famly on Life With Derek....

I couldn't sleep last night, so Lady and I were flicking through channels. Family's broadcast day currently opens with my classic favourite, Katie and Orbie. Before it, there was one of the "tween" shows listed above. As we listened to the dialogue, I turned to Lady and said,

"This is why all the kids sound like this!!"

Now, I know that's not the *only* reason, but it made me think.

Amazing, Amazing, Amazing OT Visit!!

I have the best OT in the entire world. Personable, Irish, incredibly sensible.

I'm getting a bath lift on trial, so I can actually *soak in the bathtub* again, people... This may be slightly more exciting than Tiruba Tuba's towel bar...! Maybe!

I'm getting the kind of walker I had as a little kid, seen here. (Yeah, clunky, but the most stable thing I ever walked in, and I'm going to start walking for *me* again, just like my friend Corey!)

And, new chair, because whoever measured and fit my first one was clearly asleep at the wheel, and walking is going to become my thing I do for me- It's not practical for me to walk everywhere.

But aside from all the snazzy stuff that will be coming in to my home, and probaly even more important... I felt listened to and appreciated and supported. That's what all of us want from our special needs professionals!

Random Funnies

So I'm feeling much better after that second ER run, currently relaxing in front of the TV with Mackers and America's Funniest Home Videos, which got me thinking about kid logic, and some of the funny things little folks do. I did my own share of funny things, but there's one incident in particular that I can recall with absolute clarity. I even remember the "kid logic" behind this one, and I thought I would blog it for posterity.

I was perhaps seven, and had a porcelain tea set. My Mom was away from home this particular evening so I was in the care of a babysitter. The babysitter was unfamiliar, so I was content to stay in my room with my tea set and books and my dolls.

I called out to the babysitter to ask if I could have some water for my pretend tea, and was told no, water would make a mess because I could spill it. This made sense to Little Me. Water, after all, was wet, so I looked around my room for an alternative.

Suddenly, I had it. Baby Powder! It was sitting right on top of my dresser, I could pour it, and it wasn't wet!

Turns out, it *was* still messy... Luckily, Mom was too busy laughing to be upset, when she did come home.

No deep thoughts today, folks.


Keep hanging in there

Ashley

On homemade magic bags and shots

First of all this is my magic bag, hand made by my fabulous other half.

Isn't it pretty?

Second of all, this pain won't quit! Another run to ER about 24 hours ago, this one ending with a firm suggestion to call my neurosurgeon (Like I hadn't thought of that already!) It's much worse than last year, and I was sobbing between double doses of P*er*co*cet. I don't like being on meds that strong, Sam I am. I like it even worse when they don't work.

So anyway, chat with the doc, again, have my neurological function checked, again, and this time get a scrip for muscle relaxants on top of the Perc and a shot of m*o*r*p*h*i*n*e.

That seemed to break the cycle, and after coming home and sleeping for 8 hours, topping up with another perc as directed, and sleeping some more, I felt well enough to get up and get a shower.

So here's to meds that work... at least a little better.

I am so glad I don't have to worry about the cost of my health care!

PS: Honest nurses are great. When Paulette the RN came back with my shot, she said, "Okay, I have your medication here. It's a needle, it's morph, and it stings like a bugger. Once it kicks in, it's good. You won't mind."

She was right. On all counts.

A Day in the Life

Corey, over at Watching the Waters, asked what a day in the life was like.... I keep waiting to have an interesting day :P

Am in a lot of pain right now from a bulging disc at S 5 L1 which is known as sciatica. I'm sure all of you probably knew that anyway. Sciatica plus Cerebral Palsy is no fun. I've been dealing with it off and on since Fall 2008, and when it flares it flares *badly*. All of this is just meant to say that I took a spin to the local ER the other day because I had outgrown my pain control regimen and am now on something different that has me a little loopy.

So there's not much on the go in the life here, so I thought I would do a day in the life of Mackers instead.

Wake up, jump on Dad, (Lady) make all kinds of noise so Dad knows I'm hungry. I bite Dad's shins and follow him upstairs so he can fill my bowl with Crunchy food for cats and make sure my fountain for cats is full. Cats drink filtered water in this house. Then I eat and drink, and get bored, so I check my window for birds and bicycles before making more noise so my people will get up.

Mom might need a shower, and I have to supervise if she needs one. I go in the bathroom and meow at the tub and check it all out. I stay on her shower chair until the water starts- Then it is too wet for cats. Then I chase the people upstairs for the day. Dad might give Mom her medicine- Mom has a big ow right now- and Mom might lie down. I might lie down with Mom, but I also might check my window a lot and sleep in my cardboard box. I do not *need* to sleep in a cardboard box, I just like to pretend.

If Mom gets up to go in the bathroom I need to follow her, and if Dad goes downstairs I need to follow him because he might be doing something for cats.

It's very hard to be me, you know. No wonder I need so many naps.

Revisiting an Oldie but a Goodie

So some of you may remember this post, which was a brief foray into my other passion, writing. I love to write fiction, and some tell me that I do it well, but the important thing is I love it, so I would probably do it forever for free.

I came across this article today, which some of you may enjoy reading, which revisits my point. It's very important for kids- especially "different" kids- to find mirrors of themselves in literature, but it's also *hard* for our different kids.

Just food for thought. I'm doing fine, kitty is big and handome and that's really all I have to say. Big hugs.

Ashley