November 20, 2007

• Tidbits and Unexpected Events

  It's been several days since I wrote anything - best laid plans . . . !

  I've had some problems with those dumb headaches.  Friday afternoon I picked up some migraine pills and they DID help - so my guessing some of these are migraines is correct.  These pills don't work for any other type of headache.  I've thought (in great detail) about the cause of my suddenly having headache problems and I find it hard to swallow the doctor's analogy of "rebound headaches."  In rethinking how many pills I've actually had (from the dentist), I don't believe they would be a large enough quantity to cause me an addiction.  (11 Darvocet over a 3 week period).  As far as over-the-counter analgesics, I don't take enough of them (never exceeding the recommended dose, nor take them all day long) for it to make sense that I'm (suddenly) a "Tylenol Addict" and need to attend 12 step meetings with other Tylenol addicts - not just yet, anyway!  (giggle)  Most likely, these are tension headaches, which are triggering migraines.  My last bout with migraines was in my late teens when I was in my senior year of school, worked at a fast paced job, and my parent's were going through a divorce.  The migraines only lasted a little over a year and the doctor, at the time, thought I had tension headaches which triggered migraines.  This whole "illness-thing" has been very stressful and, if I'm "a little tense," it wouldn't surprise me at all!

  At any rate, I have quit taking EVERYTHING (just as the doctor told me to do) and have resorted to less migraine medicine and more frozen packages of vegetables on my head.  The worst headache pain seems to migrate to the left side each time.  I have my own special package of Green Giant frozen corn packed in the freezer!!!  Even the girls know about "Mom's corn!"

  This is more medical details than most of you reading my blog would like to hear (I DO realize that), but entries from my blog are also printed into a book and the book is a diary (of sorts) for me, for my children, and any other future generations who may find all the details of my life interesting.  So, I write about EVERYTHING and spare no details.  My apologies to those who find my ongoing saga of physical struggles tiring - believe me, I DO TOO!!!  Then again, I've gotten incredible support from people online who have been through similar maladies.  I don't feel so weird, isolated, and frustrated after finding out others have walked in my shoes.

  Change of subject: I had an odd type of blessing yesterday. 

  We had a list of things to do (Jesse and I) which included going to the bank, eating lunch somewhere, and shopping for the final Thanksgiving meal items at Wal-Mart.  Just around the corner, on the way to the bank, we witnessed a very bad car accident.  I was looking down and missed the details, but looked up when Jesse hollered and I saw a Yukon truck pushing a medium 2 door vehicle into the center of the 4 lane road.  We had two of our children in the car and Jesse pulled into a parking lot and jumped out as I told him, "I'm the one with some medical training."  But, he was gone before I finished my sentence.  I waited forever (I'm sure it was only 15 seconds!!!), told the girls to stay put, and I proceeded to join Jesse in the middle of the street.  I couldn't believe the cars that seemed to race by going WAY too fast.  A girl (driver of the Yukon) appeared from the passenger door of the Yukon and a HUGE young guy emerged from the car.  He was furious because he had purchased the car (cash) 3 days prior and was on his way to get insurance (gulp!) and she became hysterical.  She kept telling him how sorry he was and how everything she'd done lately she had royally, messed up.  She was wearing a cast on her right lower arm and hand.  She was clearly confused and unaware of the racing traffic around her.

  She fell into my arms crying and telling me her long story.  Three weeks ago, she'd had an accident with a knife in the kitchen and had cut through all her tendons in her right hand, making it impossible to work (a financial strain).  Then a week ago she got her first speeding ticket.  Yesterday morning, she had left the house with the intention of buying a baby gift and getting her mind off of her own self pity and . . . that's when this accident occurred.  I walked her (no, pushed her) out of the street and into the parking lot promising her, over and over again, I wouldn't leave her alone and would stay with her and care for her.  Sad part of this story (to add to the rest of her story), her husband was out of town on business, IN a meeting, and she couldn't reach him by phone.  I later retrieved her cell phone and she attempted to text message him, all to no avail.  She said her parents lived in Texas and she reached her mother, who became VERY upset (being so far away and all) and this girl kept telling her some really nice lady was taking care of her (me)!!!  She said she had great neighbors, both E.R. nurses, but they were at work.  She called a girlfriend who couldn't leave work to give her a ride home. 

  I had the forethought to get her things out of her truck before the police and wrecker service arrived.  I retrieved her purse, cell phone, a paycheck on the console, what looked to be business papers, and her garage door opener.  Later she was grateful.  This all happened in front of a Farmer's Insurance agency.  The employees were wonderful and had her come inside their office.  I stuck to her like glue and finally she turned and thanked me repetitiously for not leaving her.  During all of this, Jesse made the bank deposit, went home and got our Suburban (we started out in the mini van, which has one bench seat removed), and then arrived back in the parking lot to give his "witness" account of what he had seen happen. 

  The insurance people told her she'd probably be ticketed for still having a Texas driver's license (she's lived here 2 years) which added insult to injury, and they helped her find a tow company that worked with HER insurance company, Allstate.

  They informed the boy (who thankfully has always been listed on his parent's insurance) that any new vehicle purchased had a grace period to allow people to insurance a new vehicle and, most likely, his would be covered - although it was clear the girl would be cited, not him, and SHE would be replacing his totaled vehicle.  His mother showed up and was as nice as she could be to everyone. 

  A VERY young, pretty girl came into the insurance agency to take care of some paperwork, and she turned to the two drivers and said, "Thank God it's only your cars.  You're both going to be alright and it could have been so much worse."  They smiled slightly, until the lady behind the desk explained that this young girl had recently been in a wreck and had suffered near fatal injuries.

  All in all, I praised God while I sat there and realized the girl's (in the Yukon) needs superseded my headache pain and the feelings I've had for these past few months of pretty much not being of any use to anyone.  The guy's brand new car, that he'd saved for and paid cash for only 72 hours earlier, was totaled.  The gal in the Yukon is minus a vehicle right before Thanksgiving and has no husband in town to help.  She's had recent hand surgery, but had no friend to come get her.  Then a very young girl had walked in and told her story of how she was almost killed in a wreck.  I guess we all have our own burdens and no one is spared.

  I left our names and my phone numbers in her purse with a note telling her to call and let me know how she was doing and to call if she needed ANYTHING before her husband arrived home later this week.  By the time we dropped her at her house (this whole drama took nearly 2 hours), she was much more calm and told us, "God bless you!" and we were on our way to do what we had set out to do; but, we were thanking God that we had been in the right place at the right time.

  I've taken the girls to the doctor's office earlier this morning.  Luci got 2 shots (without any more than an, "ouch!") and the other two were checked.  Rissy is fine (she had a well child check up), but Annamarie's cough, throat, & ears looked suspicious enough to cause the pediatrician to order an antibiotic for her.  AND, my pleasant surprise for the day . . . our pediatrician is due to have her 3rd child at the end of February.  What a surprise!  I've known this gal since Rissy was a few weeks old (6 1/2 years, now) and she is one of my favorite people.  Since I've been so sick and she is pregnant, we agreed not to hug today!

  I'm waiting for Jesse to finish a lawn job (yes, someone really need their lawn cut!).  He got a late start, but we may grab a sandwich for lunch (Rissy, Annamarie, Jesse, & I).  I'm really kicking back this week and doing as little as possible to make Thursday as enjoyable as possible for myself.  Sloppy Joe's tonight and chili dogs tomorrow night!  VERY simple!

  That's it from Okie-land for today.

  • 1:46 pm
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