A Long, Overdue ....

... update.

I know that it's bad when I start to get email from the Peeps, asking me to please update the blog.

Here's part of that email:

Hi Janine,
I voted for your daughter many many times, so now I think we, your faithful blog readers are due an update.  So how's your son doing?
How's your bladder.....inquiring minds want to know.  I know you've been busy at the lake but I'm just not me without my Janine fix.
Okay gal..spill the beans, how's life treating you?


OK, H .... this blog's for you.  :)


First, thank you all again for voting for D#2.  You guys really do rock.
And .... thank you for praying for Diane.  I know that more of you don't comment than do, and that many of you quiet ones are lifting her up.
Thank you.


As to how my Son (#2) is doing .... other than not having a job, he's doing well.
He still seems happy to be on his own, even if he is very, very poor.  He's been waiting for one job application to come through ..... and I've been encouraging him to not wait, but to apply for anything and everything.
We have a difference of opinion about that, but he did apply for something else today.
He got his ears pierced a couple of weeks ago .... which is a true sign that he is financially on his own.  We always told all 6 of them that as long as they needed money from us (i.e. were under our care) they could not be pierced or tattooed.
Yes, when Jim died the girls and I did go crazy and each got a tattoo in his memory, but that was different.
And an exception.


So, he has been pierced and he is biting at the bit to get a tattoo.  Fortunately, he knows that those cost more money than he has at the moment, so he's waiting.
But I don't expect that he'll be waiting long.


So, thanks for asking about him .... he's enjoying life, but not poverty.
Hopefully he'll get a job soon.


As for the next question ... "How's your bladder?" .... I'd love to say it's back to normal.  But it's not.  I have been on five antibiotics and finished the last (rather strong) round last weekend.  Within a couple of days of starting that antibiotic I had a severe case of thrush, which one of the most "un-fun" things I have experienced in quite a while.  It was difficult to eat because my mouth, gums and lips felt on fire 24/7.  It just started improving this past weekend, but still prevents me from eating anything very spicy even now.
And from what I can tell (and from using a home test) .... there is still an infection .... or something.  I go in next week for a very detailed urinalysis (the results won't be available for at least a week, which is totally frustrating and inexcusable, but that's the price I pay for having the doctor I have).  But she has referred me to a specialist down in Houston (if the test was still positive, but I'm not waiting for that) so I will call and make an appointment tomorrow with him.  I have no idea what the wait time is to see him, but hopefully it's not very long.


The retreat last weekend with the SSLF board was great.  We got a lot done and we had a wonderful time getting to know each other better.
And the weather couldn't have been better .... even here in south Texas.  :)
We're very much looking forward to Camp Widow East, which is fast approaching.


My RA is trying to flare up, which I'm sure is a result of forgetting to take the medication for 2 weeks in a row.  By the time I remembered it, it was almost time for me to take what should have been a third dose (3rd after the 2  I forgot, not 3rd overall) and I didn't feel any different.  So I decided that I really didn't have R.A. (especially since it doesn't show up in my blood work, which is common) ..... until 2 days later, the symptoms started to affect into my hands.  I took the dose and have now been back on it (and back up to my regular dosage) for 2 weeks, but my body feels like it's under attack and I'm paying the price of not taking the meds.  So much for thinking that I probably don't really have R.A. .... I now have no doubt that I do.
And I am realizing that I really cannot go non-stop for several days anymore.  I have to learn how to make myself rest .... and that seems to be very, very difficult.  I'm not used to that way of thinking and I've tried my best to just ignore it, but that doesn't seem to be working.  Crap.
R.A. hasn't really changed my life in any way, other than being in pain most of the time .... but it's been a pain I can mostly live with.  Mostly.
I still play tennis and I still do everything else I've always done .... but I guess it's time to add some rest to my schedule.  Hopefully I'll figure out how to do that.
Any bets on that?  :)


Next week is spring break for Son #3, Son #1 and Daughter #2.  Daughter #3's school also takes that week off so all 3 of them are supposed to be coming here for some of that week.   All 3 of the older ones are crazily busy these days so I haven't seen them in a while.  I'm missing them very much and looking forward to spending some time with each of them .... if their schedules permit them to come home and relax for a bit.


Daughter #1 is still working hard up north, and doing well.  I think she's ready for a change and may make one this summer/fall.  I think she'll stay up in the north east, but she may try something a bit different.


Well .... I think that's it.  At least that's all I can think of for now.  Feel free to ask any questions about anything I may have forgotten to address.
You can ask anything.  I may not answer "anything", but you can certainly ask.
:)


Thanks, Peeps ... and Happy Thursday/Friday/Weekend.
:)