Waiting for spring....

"Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a string of pearls or a pair of pants or a wig with curls or another chance. Everyone is just waiting." -
-- Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

On this, my and Dr. Seuss' birthday, I sit and nurse my painful but hopeful new knee and watch yet ANOTHER snowstorm out the windows!

Thick, wet, heavy snow is falling again... for what? The 3rd or 4th week straight?! Perhaps it's been longer than that, I don't know. I've been in an Oxycodone induced coma for almost two weeks now!

This, in some ways was a good thing, but others, not so good. I decided it was time to stop the controlled substances and just go with the Tylenol 3's on Saturday. So I took my last heavy duty med on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning I had a splitting headache, bordering on migraine status. I purged out both ends a few times and then I went back to bed. I had the cold sweats, aches and pains that hadn't been there before, fitful sleep and the weirdest dreams I think I've ever had. I eventually emerged from the dark little cocoon that is our wonderful new bedroom and felt like a new woman! I was CRAVING a cheeseburger like mad and Nancy came to my rescue with Burger King. It tasted like another!! Then we had Pizza Hut for supper!! *happy dance*

Yesterday was a very good day! Friends came over bearing gifts with their cute little puggies, Brutus and Ozzy. Brutus sang Happy Birthday to me! Thanks Brutie!! I love you!!

This morning I had physical therapy and it's with the amazing Dana! He got me through my shoulders and now he's working with me on my knee too!! He put me through my paces but didn't let me overdo! I got bent my knee back to 100 degrees!! Two weeks out!! He was amazed and pleased at how well I'd done on my own. He said it's nearly unheard of for someone to go past 85 degrees this early! I even "rode" the stationary bike for a bit. Really, it was just swinging the pedals back and forth, but it was good, a "good" kind of pain. Wednesday afternoon I get the stitches out and I'll be zooming right along soon afterward!

Boss at PetSmart says I can come in and "work" customer service for an hour or two as soon as I can stand without pain for that long. So, yay!

So, while it's snowing outside, my sweetie has to work 10 hours on my birthday and I'm still in quite a bit of pain, but I'm very hopeful and most assuredly on the downward slope!!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, get well wishes, gifts and encouragement from everyone!!

♥ Nancy ♥

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So, rumors of my demise have been much exaggerated...

I had big plans for work while laid up from my surgery. *sigh* What's that they say about the best laid plans??

Everything went fine with the exception of pain management. At the hospital and here at home. I have to say though, today I'm finally feeling somewhat human again. I know, I know, I'm NOT going to overdo. I promise to be good. I hope I can sit up in my studio for a while this weekend though. I have 12 bugs on my work table waiting patiently for their legs!!

Yes, if you were wondering if that big bluish, purply-ish, pinky blob over there on the left is my leg, you would be right. LOT'S of bruising!! Remember that animation I posted about them opening up the leg, moving muscle and tendon, cutting bone, hammering and gluing the new portion in??? I have felt the results of all it this week!!

I can already tell though, it was worth it!!! Nancy might disagree with me at this point, because she is the one who worries and has to deal with the stress of my pain, and she doesn't do that well, but she is such a trouper!! I love her so!

I'll get back to work in my studio again soon enough, for now it's naps with my lil' black doggie Nero and my old man kitty Henry, my cryo/cuf (ice) and HGTV in the background... oh, and the laptop on the pillow next to me! Techy geek that I am!

Oh! Speaking of tech!!! Great news! My new lappy is being made, just for me, as we speak!! It's a Pink Dell Inspiron 1525 with an expected delivery of March 11!!

Thanks Mom!!!

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Wordless Wednesday - Knee replacement, fun and frustration!

Click the pic to see a bigger pic!

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At 9AM this morning, we'll be heading over to the hospital. I need to be there 90 minutes prior to scheduled time - 11:00 AM.

There's two computers available for patients to use, so I'll check in during the week.

Thanks for all the good wishes!

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Thanks!!

“It is at our mother's knee that we acquire our noblest and truest and highest ideals, but there is seldom any money in them” Mark Twain

Here's an animation of what they're going to do to my right knee next Tuesday.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008, 2009 by Constance Pelkey.

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Connie

Better to die on your feet than live on your knees. - unknown author

Did I tell y'all that I have date for my knee replacement?? February 17th. I'll be in the hospital for a few days afterward, probably 'til Friday, barring any unforeseen issues. EVERYTHING is going to be fine though! Positive thoughts!!

From

http://www.kneereplacement.com

Total knee replacement, or arthroplasty, is the relining of the joint (bone end surfaces) with artificial parts called prostheses. There are three components used in the artificial knee. The femoral (thigh) component is made of metal and covers the end of the thigh bone.

The tibial (shin bone) component, made of metal and polyethylene (medical-grade plastic), covers the top end of the tibia. The metal forms the base of this component, while the polyethylene is attached to the top of the metal to serve as a cushion and smooth gliding surface.

The third component, the patella (kneecap) may be all polyethylene or a combination of metal and polyethylene.

The new components are stabilized by your ligaments and muscles, just as your natural knee.

Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated!!

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Copyright © 2007, 2008, 2009 by Constance Pelkey.

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Connie

Emergency Surgery, Anyone??

Monday started out like any other day. I went to work until 10AM and then it was time to take Mom to her monthly lunch meeting of blind and low vision folks. We got back home and the rest of the afternoon was normal too.

Mondays are Nancy's long days at work so she wasn't due home until 8PM-ish.

As the evening went on I was feeling more and more terrible. I was having cramping in my belly that started to radiate around into my back. It got worse and worse. Eventually the only place I could find any sort of relief at all was flat out on the floor on my belly. Even that wasn't too comfortable at all.

As soon and Nancy got home she called 911 and I was brought to the ER.

Eventually I was diagnosed with a pretty major blockage in my intestines. Seems that once you have had abdominal surgery a couple times your innards get "tacky" and can slip and twist more easily. In the last 10 years I've had a hysterectomy, gastric bypass and my gallbladder removed. I had a large section of intestine that was just black on the ex ray. So, at midnight on Monday I was headed into the surgical wing.

The surgeon found that about one third of my large intestine was twisted up and inside itself and was getting no blood supply. Once he got things untwisted and organized again they pinked right up and everything was fine. I was brought to my room around 3AM and don't remember a whole lot of what went on until Wednesday. I was so sick and out of it.

I came home yesterday afternoon.

I'm feeling a little better today. I'm very sore and tired. I have about a 9 inch incision running from above my belly button to my pubes with staples holding it closed and I have a belly band with Velcro that I have to wear.

I'm fine and thanks in advance for the well wishes.

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Copyright © 2008 by Constance Pelkey.

This bloggy feed is for personal, non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this content in a news reader or on a website related to Constance Pelkey Designs, the you are reading it from is in violation of copyright!
Thanks!! Connie

More weight loss pictures

This is my before and after video I made back in March.


Me in a robe I USED to wear.


I could barely button this up then...


Now, we BOTH fit in it!!

I have now lost a total 260 pounds!

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Copyright © 2008 by Constance Pelkey.

This bloggy feed is for personal, non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this content in a news reader or on a website related to Constance Pelkey Designs, this site is in violation of copyright!
Thanks!! Connie

Weekend

Yesterday I went to work again. I worked from noon 'til four. It was good. Good to get out of the house other than errand running or going up to Mom's. I was tired out after getting home last night!! I'm vastly overestimating how quickly my shoulder is healing. Don't misunderstand... it's healing wonderfully and my physical therapist, Dana, say that it's leaps and bounds ahead of my right shoulder, which was repaired by the same surgeon last summer. I'm being impatient. Because it's doing so well I want it to be better, completely. NOW! Dammit!! I'm tired of being in a sling, I'm tired of being severely limited as to what I can do. I'm tired of it hurting. I'm just impatient.

I'd put some turkey cutlets in the crock pot yesterday morning along with some crushed Italian tomatoes and paste and some Italian veggies and mushrooms. What makes them Italian veggies as opposed to... say French veggies I'll never understand. *G* It was delicious when I got home and we ate. I LOVE no fuss yummy meals!

While I was gone, Nancy worked some more upstairs... details. DETAILS! The old saying "The devil is in the details" makes perfect sense to me. These rooms are taking much longer than we'd anticipated. She scraped and primed the crown molding in the bedroom and touched up ceiling spots in both rooms.

This morning after leisurely cups of coffee and home made banana walnut muffins on the front porch, we went upstairs and worked a bit more. She painted out the crown molding in the trim color while I finished caulking and trimming out the two windows. She then moved into the dressing room and scraped and taped the crown molding in there. I also vacuumed up all the loose paint chips from the painted floor and we realized that it was chipping. Easily. Ak! So, that will get another coat of paint and then a final coat of satin finish polyurethane. Hopefully that will stop the chipping.

This afternoon we are being deck dogs again. It rained yesterday and today it's a mix of clouds and sun, but nice and warm... so here we sit, me putzing on the laptop and her doing her Sudoko and reading her book. The dogs are lazing in the sun too!

Tomorrow is back to reality. Nancy goes back to work and I have a big day with Mom. It's our monthly go-to-lunch-with-the-the-low-vision-group and then I'll do her groceries.

On Tuesday I'll get back to trimming out the dressing room.

Connie

~ Life's too short to use cheap beads! ~

Offensive?? I think not!!

Yesterdays post was NOT my norm. I'm not very political, although I do follow what affects me. This blog is for me, a place where I can talk about me, my loving partner, our home, our beloved pets and of course my main focus is my art work. It seems every time I stray from my regular focus and comment on something political, as I did yesterday, that's the day that someone comes to my blog, for the first time, looking for polymer clay work or jewelry, they see that political (usually about my Lesbianism) post and wham! They are so offended that they find it necessary to shoot me an email telling me what a terrible person I am for throwing my sexuality in their face! They (innocently) are looking for artwork and they happen across my "offensive post!" Sheesh! Get a grip people! Talking about my basic rights as a human being having been denied me is NOT offensive. Talking about what my (yes, female) partner did to help me whilst I was having shoulder surgery is NOT offensive! I read other artistic blogs all the time and they always post about their family life and various things that affect them. Do I find that offensive?? Nope. And if I did, I'd simply mark it as "read" in my reader and go on about my day! We all have things in our lives and beliefs that not everyone is going to agree upon! Just let it be and don't bash someone because they do or believe in something that you don't!

*shaking head*

So, without further political ado.... here's some shots of the flowers and yard I took the other day!

Ah spring!

Here's Dilly underneath the flowering tree in our back yard. It always puts on a glorious show in the spring! It smells nice too! Anyone know what kind of tree it is?

Dilly and the lilac...

Lilac close up.

My tomatoes, jalepeno peppers, basil and chive plants.

A flowering bush out front, I believe it's some kind of holly.

Our house plants live on the front porch all summer, the aloe has seen better days, seems every time it gets to looking good the dog knocks it over and breaks a bunch of leaves! The orangy-red begonia was sent to me by a dear woman I know when I had my shoulder surgery. It's quite lovely!

And our front porch...

ooops!

Better not look at that last foto, it has a rainbow flag (gay pride) hanging there in your face!

*removing tongue from cheek!*

Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

Connie

~ Life's too short to use cheap beads! ~

New pics - shoulder PT

I have been working on setting and resetting my stores, PayPal, Etsy and eCrater. I made a Flickr badge with the new pics and I'll be adding all the items to my store, eventually.

I have PT on my shoulder today and I'm really pleased at how well it's been feeling! Anxious to get rid of the sling, but that won't happen for another 3 weeks! Ak! *smile*

www.flickr.com

Connie

~ Life's too short to use cheap beads! ~

Shoulder Surgery

Here's pictures of my surgery for those who like such things.... *G*

And here is a shot of my incisions - had the stitches removed last Friday and the steri strips are to be left alone and will fall off on their own.

It's really feeling so much better these last couple days. I'm very encouraged that it will be OK in a few more weeks. I have to wear the sling and pillow for 6 weeks total and I have my first PT appointment tomorrow. I plan on calling or going in to see my boss later in the week to talk about coming back to work. I won't be able to do my regular job for a while still, but I can go in and cover the sales floor and do customer service, perhaps in the afternoons. Not real sure how I'll bag fish though. We'll see how things go.

My partner, Nancy rocks!!

My partner, Nancy rocks!!

We had a wonderful 5 days when she took off for my surgery. I admit Wednesday wasn't the best day ever, but the rest were just great! She saw to my every need, my every whim and desire. We did very little except lay about and watch TV. She did groceries and bought me all sorts of fun things like puddings and granola bars and ruby red grapefruit juice and sushi for lunch!!

YUM!!!

It was tough on her and me, her going back to work yesterday. Mondays are her long day and she left around 8AM and didn't arrive back home until a little past 8PM! I missed her terribly!

She is certainly a keeper!

Connie
~ Life's too short to use cheap beads! ~

Surgery, pain and healing

I had my shoulder surgery last Wednesday. Things went well, no real surprises this time around. I had a large rotator cuff tear and a LOT of arthritis. He went in and repaired the tear and scraped out the arthritis. LOTS of pain upon awakening in recovery. Apparently they've had a lot of trouble with the pain pumps leaking and not working correctly, so they aren't using them any more!!! The nurses were telling Nancy that they've had a TON of trouble with folks coming out of surgery in huge amounts of agonizing pain. After pumping me full of narcotics that did very little to relieve me, the anesthesiologist gave me a pain blocker in my neck artery. Knocked me out for hours! We finally got home around 5PM, we arrived at the hospital at 9AM. It was a long day!!

Sweetie was a champ though it all!! I am a total bitch when I have unresolved pain. I can hear the little sane censure voice in the back of my head telling me to keep my mouth shut and be nice, but the drugs sap my patience and make me say the the most mean things to sweetie and the poor nurses who are all doing their absolute best to take care of me. All the while, my mouth is running on and on, spewing sarcastic comments and malevolent statements aimed at whomever happens to be within earshot. Immediately upon saying them, I'm apologizing for them!

*sigh*

Because of all the drugs I had on board, they were very concerned about me sleeping and told sweetie to pay attention to my breathing that night. We all slept downstairs on the couches, and I was awake practically every hour on the hour!! Sweetie got very little sleep, I was in agony and poor Dilly had no clue what was going on except she knew I was not right and she sat and stared at me most of the night.

Bone surgery is the most painful kind of surgery there is! Ow!

More later... typing one handed sucks.....

Shoulder surgery

I just received my phone call from the nurse at the surgical unit at the hospital and I have to be there at 9AM. *sigh* Yep, I'm a wee bit nervous, as I should be with impending surgery, I know, think positive, and I am! Yet, I'm still allowed to be nervous. I HOPE that all goes well and I won't be laid up for too long. My right shoulder (surgery happened on July 20th, 07) was quite involved and took a long to to heal. I hope this one isn't as complicated! All I know is that I want the pain to stop, soon!

Ice out update and shoulder surgery - again! 4/16/08

This is what's left of Mount P??!!

Errr.... yeah but, it's more like P's Ant Hill!!!

Here's the shot of the deck from the top of the yard.

What's left of the snow over by the fence. Nero walked over this fence one day and escaped the yard!! We had THAT MUCH snow! Shewt!

Wow! Is that a spring clean flower garden!??

Next week this time I'll be having shoulder surgery on my left shoulder! Yes, you read that right! ANOTHER shoulder surgery! Well, I do have two shoulders, and I suspect that my left shoulder got jealous of my right! I can only hope that this surgery is NOT as complex as my surgery on my right shoulder was! I hope I'll only be out of work 3 weeks. $ will be tight. We certainly have begun to rely on my paycheck! Feels good.

Where've I been??

I haven't been posting or being very creative lately due to a few reasons.

1. Shoulder surgery
2. I started working
3. The holidays came
3. Continued back pain
4. Camera shit the bed

I think I've mentioned it elsewhere and perhaps here too. I had to have shoulder surgery on my right shoulder last July and it's been months (before and after) since I was able to use my arm, thus the creative part of me was laid up, except for crochet.

I also started working again after not working for nearly 12 years due to disability - back troubles and chronic pain. I got hired at PetSmart and I love my job! I am a pet care specialist. Basically I take care of the needs of all the live animals in the store with the exception of the area devoted to the local humane society. The first 4 weeks of work we weren't open and everyone was working full time in order to set the store from bare walls to grand open ready. The pay was great, but my back and legs hated it!! It was also beginning to be the holidays and that in itself is added pressure and stress, let alone working full time for the first time in 12 years!! We weren't doing our normal jobs, we were stocking shelves according to plan-o-grams. YIKES!!! Once we opened, I started my regular work and it's a breeze, relatively easy for me when I have my pain under control. I just recently got put on to regular part time hours and that's wonderful!

The work caused my back and legs to act up some and made me a little bit grumpy. I've dealt with chronic pain for all these years and I know how I have to deal with it in order to be successful with anything in my life. I need to be in control of the pain, and because of being on my feet and legs for 8 hours a day I wasn't in control! I recently started going to the Pain Clinic and had two series (starting last June) of epidural steroid injection shots in my spine. Sounds yucky, and it was! However, as painful as those few minutes that the doctor was actually injecting the thick liquid into my spine was, the lengthy relief I gained from the shots was excruciatingly sweet! Virtually no pain for months! I couldn't believe it!! The problem now?? It's time for another round - I have an appointment for next Wednesday.

I think this will be the last ones though, the next step is "zapping" the nerves that come through my my L3 and L4's. I have a bulging disk and arthritis in this area, causing pinched nerves coming directly from my spinal cord, thus the low back pain, the numbness of the sides of my legs all the way down to my little toes, i In a nutshell?? I have Peripheral Neuropathy. Oh joy!!

And finally, our old Kodak Easy Share kinda sorta shit the bed. It still works, but the picture quality for the closeups is bad and the battery door is broken - thus needing a piece of duct tape to hold them in. Not the best of situations!

We bought ourselves a new one - x mas present to each other, a Panasonic. I'm still playing with it, learning how it works etc... but it's WAY cooler than the Kodak!! The pics were taken with the new camera!!

This is my new kiln for Precious Metal Clay!!


This a pic of my newest PMC project. Silver lentil shapes that will be filled in with poly clay and decorated with mica shift. These are unfired.

YAY!! I, hopefully, will be posting a lot more stuff lately as things seem to be slowing down a bit and I'm able to make and keep a more - all around - productive schedule.

That's the plan anyway. *sheepish grin*

A New Era

I'm so excited for myself!

After many months of trial and error I seem to be headed in the right direction, FINALLY!!

I've been waiting on approval from my shoulder surgeon to release me for work again. My shoulder is doing so much better! It's truly amazing! Given that he had to do sooo much to fix my shoulder, my PT guy was so pleased with how well I'm doing yesterday he graduated me from PT! *G* I am able to lift my arm way above my head with a 2 lb weight with little to no pain! Remember, doc had to remove a 2" bone spur, remove some of my collar bone, clean out the rotator cuff and reattach part of my bicep! Yow!

So... we have a new shopping mall (Augusta Crossing) opening up in Augusta and one of the new stores is PetSmart. I applied a couple weeks ago and after a whirlwind flurry of interviews and a drug test this past week I found yesterday that I got the job!! Part time pet care specialist. The store opens Thanksgiving day weekend and we start work on October 31st. We have one month to set the store up. Years ago I helped open Rich's Department store (long since closed) down in Falmouth and I worked there for years. I really enjoyed retail so I'm very pleased to have gotten this job.

So... between my new and improved creativity design business and my pet care job I'll be quite busy! *G*

Yay me!

Connie before & after

Connie-before-after
Originally uploaded by connie_clays

Oh what difference a year and a half, 2 surgeries (thus far) and a major change in eating and lifestyle habits will do!!

I had a roux-en-y gastric bypass. A year later I had my gallbladder removed due to complications from loosing so much fat from my system - the gallbadder processes fat.

I feel wonderful though!!