Ahhhh, another beautiful day in Paradise!

I just can't get over the beauty of nature in the Springtime! How a tree can burst into such beauty over night baffles me!
Today is the first day of 9 days off. I slept in until my phone rang at 10:00am. I answered in a grumble and the person asked for Brian. I said wrong number he then asked for someone else, and I again said wrong number. He said wait! Is this Phyllis in Washington? I said yes! He said "This is Donny, hold on, I have another call coming in, I'll call you back", and he hung up. I'm thinking who in the heck is Donny? I got up and went to the bathroom and my mind was wandering all over the place! First I noticed a southern accent and thought it might be my cousin Donny from Texas. Then my mind told me maybe he hit oil and wants to share it with his loving cousins!! Whoot! Then I was thinking how I was going to go to work and tell everyone I was rich but was going to keep working because they needed me there! HAHAHAHA Then I thought to go check my phone and see what the caller ID said. Well it wasn't cousin Donny, it was a guy I met from email jokes a few years ago. He called back and explained he called my number by mistake, so we talked a bit and hung up. Well shoot, it was a fun fantasy!
I went to Oak Harbor and got my hair done then went on into Mount Vernon to Costco. Along the highway there are groups of daffodils blooming in the median. They fall off the bulb trucks when they harvest them. I didn't see the tulips, then again I wasn't going to battle the traffic getting to the fields.
On the way home tonight I noticed the water was calm and the sun was going down so I swung through Coupeville and got this shot of the waterfront. It looked so serene.
We sure are lucky folks to live in this beautiful part of earth!!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing.
If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!

Spring!!????

My goodness, today we had snow in a neighboring town by the foothills, and more predicted tonight!! It is 39 degrees now and the wind is blowing pretty hard.
The pink blossoms on the trees are blowing around looking like pink snow. It is actually rather pretty. I think Spring is here regardless of the nasty weather outside! Sunny days are coming......are they? What if..., nah I won't go there.

We got quite a workout last night at water aerobics, and I was a bit sore today but a good sore. Friday night I will go again before the AA meeting.

Well I have nothing exciting to blog about today. Ta-ta

GAMES FOR WHEN WE ARE OLDER
1. Sag, you're It.
2. Hide and go pee.
3. 20 questions shouted into your good ear.
4. Kick the bucket
5. Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says Bend Over.
6. Musical recliners.
7. Simon says something incoherent.
8. Pin the Toupee on the bald guy.

Thursday!!

Whew, tomorrow is my favorite day...FRIDAY!!
I worked a split shift today. I came home at 11:30 and napped for 2 hours then went back to work. This afternoon I visited a lady in an assisted living complex. I saw her in the lobby and introduced myself. I signed her up for Paratransit and was leaving when a gal from the office came out and said "are you the Phyllis that blogs" I think I might have turned beet red, that took me by complete surprise!! I said "uh...yes" she smiled and said she doesn't know how she found me, but she reads me and my sister all the time! She said she tagged me on her favorites!! She told me that my sister and I are so funny! She also said she likes how we are going to the water aerobics. I told her to join us, so maybe she will. Her name is Laurie, or Lori. Say "Hi" Laurie!!
HAHAHAHA Ya gotta be careful, folks, ya just never know, huh? I'm just eternally grateful that I found this blogging thing in my "Sobriety Years"!!
Have a great weekend!!

OH!! It's Leigh's birthday! Go wish her a happy one! http://prismofwhispers.com/mtblog/

Don't audit life.
Show up and make the most of it now.

I'm ok

The test went just fine.
My sister picked me up and took me in about 1:00pm and I finally got into the operating room at 2:30. I was out by 3:00pm and home sleeping at 4:00pm.
Doc Z said all is fine, I have a few polyps but nothing to be concerned about. He took a biopsy of a couple and is sending them in. He will have the results by Friday. He's not concerned nor am I.
The funny part is, (most of you have heard this)I went to have a colonoscopy in 1999 and was all embarrassed because I know Doc Z pretty well, and I am very, painfully shy!! To have a friend (doctor or not) look up my butt was/is devastating! To ease the tension in the room I decided to pull a joke on him by writing hi or something on my butt. Well a few days before the procedure I was shopping and saw these wax lips with fangs.....

hehehehe my mind says to me...go ahead, buy them! So I did!!
I was wheeled into the room and I asked the crew to go along with the joke, so they did, reluctantly.
Doc Z came into the room and was very nice to me and was explaining everything to me. He was so kind I actually was feeling like a big heel with these wax lips sticking out my butt under the sheets. hehehehe
He gave me the drugs via IV and lifted the sheet, and all I remember is him yelling "OH MY G--D" and the crew giggling before I went under the effects of the drugs. He probably gave me an extra shot just to get back at me!
When he woke me up he was explaining the procedure and what they found, then he gave me the pictures of my diverticuli and the last picture was...yep..the wax lips! He said that was a copy, and he is saving the original for blackmail!! YIKES!
Back to today....Three nurses came up to me and asked if I was going to do anything this time, and I said no. They wheeled me into the operating room and the man that works the machines said "oh lookie here, what do you have for us today"? I said nothing. I think everyone was disappointed. Doc Z said that it startled him so much that day that he still has nightmares about it!! Then they made me gargle this thick icky liquid and then swallow it, then they sprayed me with more numbing junk. He was smiling, and I said you are really enjoying this aren't you!?! He just smiled.
I came home and ate a sandwich and slept for three hours. Now I am going to finish this and go back to bed.
Have a great Wednesday, folks!!

Why do doctors leave the room while you change?
They're going to see you naked anyway.

Blah blah blah and more blah!

Well I have been delinquent in posting, but I get here when I can.
This morning I went to Church and came home to do chores and the power went out. Wind gusts over 60mph!! Whooppee, naptime!!
I napped all day yesterday too because I was up all night with severe tummy ache and then sat on the toilet for an hour, then I was fine. Something going through my system (it is going around). I felt drained...hahahaha...really!
So this weekend was literally shot!
Tomorrow is Water Aerobics which I dearly look forward to now! Miracuously so does my sister!! It is so good for the both of us, and extra good for her to get out and see some different people other than Bob and her animals. Don't take me wrong, Bob is a good guy, but he is WEIRD and a steady diet of Bob is bad for your mental health!! HAHAHAHA Sorry Bob, if you read this, but you know what I mean!! And is it me, or is she actually talking like she is talking to her animals? You know, in that sweet wittle smoochy talk we say to our doggies? Nah.

Tuesday I look forward to an EGD!(explanation below). Since I had a month of severe esophagitis, they want to check out my esophagus. No problem, says I. Doc Z (Zavaruha)explained it to me and I smiled when he said he will give me some happy juice to get me through this. Well a die-hard alcoholic would tell the doctor no way will they take the drugs because of their sobriety. Well I have been sober for 19 years and 9 months. I am not afraid I will go out and get druink over this, so give me a double dose please, and send me home to sleep it off thank you very much!!
And no, I am not going to change my sobriety date over this!
It's MY program, so there!

Well time for bed! I need to try and get that hour back we lost last night! I will be pissed for the entire time until the Fall when they give it back to me!!

Gastric endoscopy

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum with a small camera (flexible endoscope) which is inserted down the throat.

You will be given a sedative and an analgesic. A local anesthetic will be sprayed into your mouth to suppress the need to cough or gag when the endoscope is inserted. A mouth guard will be inserted to protect your teeth and the endoscope. Dentures must be removed.

In most cases, an intravenous line will be inserted into your arm to administer medications during the procedure.

You will be instructed to lie on your left side.

After the gag reflex has been suppressed by the anesthetic, the endoscope will be advanced through the esophagus to the stomach and duodenum. Air will be introduced through the endoscope to enhance viewing.(oh swell, that's all I need is more air down there! Look out folks)!! The lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum is examined, and biopsies can be obtained through the endoscope. Biopsies are tissue samples that are reviewed under the microscope.

After the test is completed, food and liquids will be restricted until your gag reflex returns.

The test lasts about 5 to 20 minutes.

Fasting is required overnight (6 to 12 hours before the test). An informed consent form must be signed. You may be told to stop aspirin and other blood-thinning medications for several days before the test.

The local anesthetic makes swallowing difficult. This wears off shortly after the procedure. The endoscope may stimulate some gagging in the back of the throat. There may be a sensation of gas, and the movement of the scope may be felt in the abdomen. Biopsies cannot be felt. Because of the intravenous sedation, you may not feel any discomfort and may have no memory of the test.

This test is helpful in determining:

The cause of upper GI (gastrointestinal) bleeding
The cause of swallowing difficulties
The presence of ulcerations or inflammation
The cause of abdominal pain
The condition of the stomach and duodenum after an operation
The presence of tumors or other abnormalities of the upper GI tract
Narrowing or tumors of the esophagus

The esophagus, stomach, and duodenum should be smooth and of normal color. There should be no bleeding, growths, ulcers or inflammation.

What abnormal results mean Return to top

An EGD may show:

Ulcers (acute or chronic)
Tumors
Inflammation of the stomach and duodenum
Diverticula (abnormal pouches in the lining of the intestines)
Mallory-Weiss syndrome (tear)
Esophageal rings
Esophagitis
Strictures
Gastric masses
Obstruction
Gastric ulcer
What the risks are Return to top

There is a small chance of perforation (hole) of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus; There is also a small risk of bleeding at the biopsy site. A patient could have an adverse reaction to the anesthetic, medication, or tranquilizer. This reaction could cause:

Respiratory depression (difficulty breathing)
Apnea (not breathing)
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Excessive sweating
Bradycardia
Laryngospasm (spasm of the larynx)
The overall risk is less than 1 out of 1,000 people.

Special considerations Return to top

If any of these conditions arise after the test, contact the health care provider:

Difficulty swallowing
Pain
Fever
Black stools
Blood in vomit

Update Date: 5/8/2006

Updated by: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like
every two hours?

A Cheap Saturday Night Date

For cheap thrills, if you have a cat, just throw some packing paper on the floor, wait awhile, then let the games begin!
Elliott is such a funny cat. He can amuse himself (and me) for hours on end. I never tire of watching him. Here he is sneaking up on his tiger/birdie toy. He walks by it then turns and pounces on it!
Then he "kills" it for a few minutes then stuffs it somewhere and leaves, then he walks by it again and acts like he didn't know it was there then sees it and pounces on it again!!
I can spend alot of money on toys, but his favorite is the tiger/bird first, then paper and then cardboard boxes.

Of course Punkin would have none of that nonsense! She is above that! She would never be caught dead acting like a kitten! No way!!
I had a busy Saturday. Mary Lou gets mad when I do too much. I only have one day a week to call my own so I try to make the most of it. I had an hour meeting at noon then went shopping and got home at 6:30 tonight. I started doing things in the kitchen, sat down and did some crochet, got up and did some more in the kitchen, crocheted, kitchen, then went to the computer. I called FTD to order some flowers and was on the phone for a long time (their computers were down) As I was ordering, I heard a POP...POP...POP.POP...I jumped up and cursed and ran in the kitchen, and sure enough, the 6 eggs I put on the stove (on high of course) decided 20 minutes was way too long to burn so they popped out of the very dry pan all over the kitchen!! I mean ALL OVER!! The guy on the phone was trying not to laugh, then I started laughing, and we both were hysterical!! I got my wallet to get my credit card and egg pieces were even in my purse. That got him laughing harder! DANG, I should have taken a picture of the mess, but it is all cleaned up now.
I called my sister and asked if I could borrow her dog, but she said Sadie doesn't like eggs. Phhffft!
So how was your FULL MOON Saturday night?"

Be eccentric now.
Don't wait for old age to wear purple.