BOTH LUCKY AND I ARE SICK

Lucky woke me up at 4 am to go outside. I won't go into the gory details but she is not well. I think either the meds or the anesthesia are not agreeing with her.  We curled up on the couch to not wake up the whole house with her whining and my coughing.

At 10:30 I took Lucky to the vet. They checked her to make sure she was okay. No infection. They think she is still coming off the anesthesia or the meds are making her sick. I also got a great tip to get her to take meds she does want to take: salmon flavored cream cheese! First give some to Happi then give some to Lucky without the meds. Then more to Happi. Then put the pill in and give to Lucky. Worked like a charm. I tried everything the other night to get her to swallow that pain med. It is bitter and smells so she can tell it is in everything. The salmon covers the smell.

I called my doc and got some antibiotics and cough meds to nip this in the bud.

Until tomorrow...

NOW I AM FEELING ILL

Darn. Brenda got over her cold and now I have it. I am not sure why I am surprised. I seem to get everything that goes around. Every cold, flu, puppy cough. I have to see how I feel tomorrow and if I will call the doc for meds.

Lucky Update: she is having a really rough time. I could not give her the pain med so she is whimpering and pacing. I could give her the anti inflammatory. She has had a few accidents in the house. She wants to be held and then she doesn't want to be held.

Until tomorrow...

POOR LITTLE LUCKY

Little Lucky went to the dentist today. I know in the long run she will be happier but it is hard to see that right now. She is in pain and I can't get her to take the painkiller. I tried to put it in her food, in peanut butter, in those pill pockets and in chicken baby food.  Nothing works. I also tried to put it in her mouth but she tried to bite me. I guess she will have to white knuckle it.

The dentist cleaned her teeth and had to extract two teeth. Last time she had to have four teeth extracted.  At this rate she will be toothless in a few years, poor thing. Unfortunately she has genetically bad teeth.

Good she finally fell asleep. She has been pacing and staring at me and climbing in my lap. 

I am sure she will feel better tomorrow. 

Until tomorrow...

WASTED HALF A DAY

Last week I scheduled an appointment to have a technician come out this morning from 8am - 12pm. I was up and showered by 8am.  I hung around all morning and no tech showed up.  At 12:05 I called to find out where the technician was. They informed me that in their computer my appointment was for next Tuesday.  There is no way I would have scheduled the appointment for next Tuesday when I start a new job on Monday.

I finally got a supervisor on the phone and was told the earliest appointment was next Tuesday.  She told me she would put me on the cancellation list too.if someone cancels I would get their appointment.

I was happy that I didn't blow up like I would have normally. Instead I tried to keep my cool (even when they disconnected me).  Another step from the Happiness Project book. I am trying to not unload on others who have no control over the situation. Bees to honey.

Until tomorrow...

HAD LUNCH WITH A FRIEND

Today I had lunch with a friend I had not seen in about two years. It was fun to catch up. We  started our relationship as a business one. She was one of my clients.  Then she left the place that was my client and we started meeting for lunch.  We connected again and I asked her to lunch. We went to a nice Thai place. We just talked and talked.

Turns out we have more in common than I thought.  She rides a bike also. She has invited me to ride with her once I feel up to it. She also has a passion for photography.  We both also like to read.  I told her about The Happiness Project and she said she was going to check it out.  She is recently retired and has a lot of time on her hands.

On my list of activities I want to do, I wrote entertain. I should include spend time with friends.

Until tomorrow...

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY?

Since I have been reading the book, The Happiness Project, I have been spending a great deal of time thinking about what makes me happy.  I don't think I will do a whole project (although I have not completely ruled it out)  but I can do parts of it. Or I can do a mini happiness project.

I thought I would write down activities that make me happy

• Riding my bike
• Walking my dogs
• Taking photos
• Reading good books
• Watching movies
• Scrapbooking
• Sitting in my backyard
• Taking a bath
• Stress free vacations
• Watching TV
• Blogging
• Working on my computer
• Organizing groups (neighborhood watch, etc.)
• Entertaining, having friends over
• I would probably like to go for a short hike
• Going to new things (art shows, museums, fairs, operas, etc.) 
• Road trips
• Being spontaneous (not really an activity)

The idea is to figure out how to maximize your time doing the activities you enjoy and that make you happy.  Sort of what Oprah called "me time". Schedule in time for things that will increase your happiness quotient.  Some of the things on this list I already do so I won't have to find time to do them all. I also think I need to rank them. Not all of them make me as happy as the others.  Road trips make me happy but taking photos probably make me happier.  

I still have to read the last few chapters of the book. 

Until tomorrow...

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

Yesterday I took Happi for a short walk. Today I took both days for separate walks. Things seem to be looking up. The costocondritis feels like it is subsiding. The asthma meds seem to be working so I can breathe better. My cracked rib still hurts but that will take a few weeks to heal.  My foot is healed.  My eye looks kinda icky but it doesn't hurt like it did.

So overall things are better. This is good news!

Until tomorrow...

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

I started reading a book titled The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  The book was not what I thought it was but it is better.  The Happiness Project is about the author spending one year learning to be more happy. She breaks the year into 12 months and each month she works on a different issue such as friendship, work, vitality, parenthood, and marriage. How each of these items will add to her happiness. The idea is that if you choose to do your own happiness project you will choose your own topics.

Since I have been cleaning out my office I have had a feeling of happiness each time I get a little closer to a clean and organized office.

I am not sure I will do a happiness project but so far it is an interesting read.  I do see ways I can improve my level of happiness.

Until tomorrow...

CHALAZION

This morning I woke up and my eye was not looking good.  I won't go into gory details but it was clear my eye was not well.  I have been assuming that I had a blocked tear duct. I had it before so I was not concerned.  This morning my eye was not looking like it had in the past.

I called the eye doc and they squeezed me in.  The doc looked at my eye and told me it was not a blocked tear duct it was an obstructed drainage duct of the oil gland in my lower eye lid.  This is called chalazion.   It causes a cyst to appear when the duct is blocked.  It gets painful to blink.

To fix it the doc first scrapped the eye lid. Now, if you think this was not painful, you must be kidding.  When that didn't do the trick, the doc told me I could continue with the hot compresses for about two weeks or he could give me an injection of steroids.

The doc said he would get the steroids for a speedier response. I chose the steroid shot. To give me a shot in the eye lid, I needed to freeze my eye lid. Then he took a needle and stuck it three times in my eye lid.  That was not pleasant. I do not see a change in my eye but he said it would happen.  If it doesn't get better, there is a surgery that can be done to cut out the cyst.  Yeah, no.

At least this is something curable. It doesn't seem to hurt as much tonight.

Until tomorrow..

CRACKED RIB

Do you ever feel like you are falling a part? Piece by piece?

Today I went for my check up with the doc. My costocondritis seems to be subsiding.  Good news.

I have had this pain I my side for about a week or so that I attributed to the costocondritis.  Turns out I have a cracked rib.  Not sure how I got it. Maybe from the coughing, maybe from when the doc pushed on my ribs, who knows.  I am a delicate flower.

I also was told my asthma has kicked up which is why I am coughing so much.  I have some medicine to take.

I asked about a flu shot. I guess this year the CDC is advising that those folks who are immune compromised should get s special flu shot that is extra strong. My doc is not getting it so I will have to get two flu shots. One in October and one in December.

Until tomorrow...