I am sure you have all heard by now that I had a little accident Saturday. But I can tell you my side of the story at least so here it goes..... I slept in Saturday morning and Mom and Michele called to see if they were needed right away or if they could go get Michele a hair cut. So I told them we were all fine for a while. I was still in bed, the kids were in watching t.v. and Troy was around the house doing I am not sure what. About five minutes later Troy came in and asked me if I wanted something for breakfast. He brought me in a yogurt and I laid in bed and ate it. Then a few more minutes later I decided to get up and go see the kids in the family room. So I sat up and grabbed my trust old walker and off I went down the hall to say good morning to everyone. It was about 9:30 by now. I sat in a very comfortable kitchen chair that we borrowed from Great Grandpa and Grandma Merrill. I sat there for probable 15 min then decided I was going to get in the shower. I called for Troy and off we went back down the hall and he set up the bathroom for me to take a shower. Towel on the floor so I wouldn't slip and one hanging up for me to dry off with. Then he started the water. I got in and washed my hair and then my face. Then my ears started to ring and I knew from experience that was not a good sign so I sat down on the bench in the shower and called for Troy to come in. He came in and started to talk to me and I just told him I was going to pass out and I wanted to get on the bed. So he started to help me out of the shower and I just got weaker and weaker, so then we went to the floor. I don't recall much of what happened in between that point and actually getting on the bed but I do remember yelling at Troy to get me off the floor because I was sitting with my feet under my butt and it was hurting the muscles in my thighs really bad so he picked me up and then I woke up on the bed with a blanket over me and Troy on the phone with the 911 operator. Seconds after that an ambulance pulled up and I could hear the kids yelling,"its here, its here". The two EMTs came in and started taking my vital signs and then I got a nightgown put on me and carried to the gurney that was in my family room. Then they rolled me out to the ambulance and my neighbor poked her head in and asked if we were all right and then started talking to mom. We went to the hospital and were checked in at about 10:30 am and didn't leave until about
5:00 pm. It was a very long day but they did take x-rays of my back and my surgeon came in and looked at them and said nothing looked out of place. So that was good news. They also drew blood and found I am very anemic and have very low blood pressure. The combination of those two things and the warm water is what made me pass out. I am doing fine now and am taking it very easy. My right leg has some muscle pain in it from the position I went down on it when I passed out. But other than that I am doing good. My two moms and making sure I don't move a muscle without assistance and I have also received a few threats of butt kicking if I do anything to injure myself again. So with that all said(if you got this far) I am on the road to recovery and will take it a little more easy from now on.

Here are some fun pictures of the kids at Disneyland this year!

Cameron, Dustin, Shayah, Keegan, Jimmy and Sarah

Cameron, Jimmy, Dustin and Sarah
Dustin, Jimmy, Sarah and Cameron

I had lots of fun at Disneyland taking pictures of the kids and the kids had lots of fun riding all the rides with cousins, aunts, uncles and of course grandpa and grandma.

I am sort of reluctant to post this but everyone will find out eventually anyway. As you know I had a cat scan upon my doctors request because I have been having major leg pain in my right leg. Well he called me today and told me he looked over the results and he feels it is necessary to go back in and adjust one of the screws and chip some more bone away from the nerve. YEAH ME!!! He feels that will take the pain away. So off I go to surgery again. Thursday. I should be able to go home either Thursday night if he can do the surgery in the morning or if not I will be home Friday. This surgery will not be as involved as my last one but none the less it still is not what I wanted to do. God bless you all and lets hope this is my last surgery to fix this problem.
Love You All!!!!!

O.K first of all cat scans are not my friends any more. I got to the hospital at 9 a.m. and didn't get home until 4:30 p.m. I am so not kidding!!! It has been a very long day. It was painful to get the contrast dye injected into my spinal fluid and then I had to wait 1 hour until I could actually get in to do the cat scan so the dye could get down through the entire length of my legs. I was crying so hard I could barely catch my breath. Not to be graphic or anything but that is the truth. It flipping hurt!!!!! I am doing much better now. I have to drink a lot of fluids to flush to dye out. I have to sleep on the couch tonight because the dye is still in my veins and spine and it will be very bad if it gets to my brain. It has a slight risk of causing seizures. So I have to sleep with my head elevated at at least a 30* angel. I will be so glad when all of this is over and I can just move on with my life. I am getting so bored just sitting around or laying down. I have had a lot of time to think about what I do want to do when I am feeling better and going to school is one of my goals. I have been considering several career paths. But need to do a lot more research before I decide on anything. Here are a few of my thoughts....pharmacy tech, phlebotomist, paralegal, web page design, announcement design like wedding, baptism or baby births etc..., and medical billing and coding. Just to name a few. I want something that doesn't require a ton of school but will pay fairly good in the end and is enjoyable to do. If there is such a thing I am going to find it!!! Wish me luck!!!

I am going in to have a cat scan tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. It will be a five hour long process. Wow huh. I was kinda surprised to find out it would take that long. Troy is going to take me but I am not sure if he is going to stay with me the whole time. But he will be there to bring me home. I sure hope the doctors can find out what is going on with this leg pain. I am getting pretty worn out. Thanks for fasting and praying for me. I really appreciate it. I don't know what I would do without everyone's love and support! Love you all!!!

Well here is the latest news. My legs have been extremely painful to walk on or lay or sit. So I went in to see the doctor today and he wants me to have a cat scan to see if everything is doing o.k. I am going in tomorrow to get it done. I will let you know what he says about it. But for now I am taking my pain meds every 3 to 4 hours instead of ever 6 hours. That is alot of meds. I have been sleeping alot because they just knock me out. I will keep you posted. Love you all!!!

Well I survived surgery and I am doing better. The first few days at the hospital were some of the worst days of my life! No kidding!! I was so sick and every time I got up to use the bathroom I either passed out or felt like I was going to pass out. I had at least three nurses to help me up and down and pretty much wait on me hand and foot. I couldn't do anything. Including wiping my own butt!!! Nothing is sacred anymore!!! It was good to be home but I have less help. Lynda has been my savior the last few days! She has seen and done it all. Except the butt wiping thing I can do that all by myself! It was quit the accomplishment! It is amazing how many things you take for granite that you can do on a daily basis until you cant do them any more. The journey has just started and I feel that it will be a long road ahead. But with my family to help and my faith that I will get better everything will work out just fine. I send my love to everyone and thank you for all your prayers and telling me you love me over the phone! It really lifts my spirits!!!