Consultation with Dr. Amy Day

So I had my consultation with Dr. Day today and she is fabulous.

She was very personal and we talked NCAA basketball and then got to business. She was thorough on explaining my ultrasound results, what it meant, what options I have available and asked if I had any questions.

With some research and talking I had done with some friends I felt she knew her stuff and pretty much made me feel at ease.

The one option is to not have surgery and just watch what I eat.

Second option was to do surgery.

We agreed that when I had a back pain a week prior that I felt was like an appendicitis but I knew wasn't could have been the first episode but not sure. The chest pain was definitely related to a gallstone in both our opinions.

I explained to her my concerns about waiting and my plans for the next few months and not wanting to have to miss or cancel any of my plans. So she agreed that it would not be fun and one of the negative things about waiting is that it could be worse and it could be more serious but she could not make the decision for me as that was ultimately my choice.

I told her I pretty much just want this over and done with but I want to be able to do all the things I have planned. So we are preparing to do surgery sometime in April. I have to stay in San Diego for at least three weeks after my procedure. I looked at my calendar and I basically need to have it done between April 15 and April 26. Why well, NE has her NCL presentation on May 18 and her graduation on May 23. I can not and will not miss these two milestone events.

The procedure should be outpatient ant there is a 97% success rate for outpatient treatment. If my glabladder is attached to any of my other organs then they will not be able to do laparoscopy and would have to open me up and that recovery time is longer. Only 3% of individuals have to go this route.

I will not be able to drive myself home and I will not be able to be home by myself for 24 hours. So my SIL will be here to help me although I will need to coordinate my surgery date around SE and NE flights in and out of town. 

So here's hoping to insurance approving my surgery by next wednesday and then getting the ball rolling and set to be off work for no more than 2 weeks. She will release me after a week if I call her and tell her I am up for going back to work. Oh as well as ensuring that I am part of the 97% club.

Scripps has impressed me

So the missed call was to let me know that I could meet for a consult with a surgeon tomorrow morning or next week on Monday or Thursday.

I opted for tomorrow as I was scheduled to have the day off for a floating holiday so my plans for the day are kind of all over the place now.

I don't think I have ever had a referral process go so fast.

I also can't believe I am blogging a surgery process all over again.

Missed Call and now I have to wait

As a follow up to my post about Urgent Care, I saw my PCP on Monday and had an ultrasound this morning before work.
I received a voice mail from my doctor's office alreay and now have to wait until the individual that called me is available.
I am 100% sure I have these gallstones and I know I will need surgery. I have NE's NCL presentation, graduation, and dance show in the latter part of May, my cruise at the end of June and open enrollment somwhere in there. Missing any of NE's milestones for her senior year ARE NOT an option, nor is my cruise, open enrollment well work will have to suffer without me and my counterparts from the aerospace will need to help me out again.
I am upset but not scared. I am upset that I have this and a lot mad at myself. I need to get serious about eating healthy, losing weight and not just sitting at my desk all the time.
I am grateful because last Friday I reached out to a friend MG who had this procedure late last year and she was very helpful in giving me information and encouragement.
I talked to my SIL this morning and as always she was very encouraging and supportive and offered to come stay with me for a few days.
I told my boss and he was positive and told me to remember I have to take care of myself first as I am number 1.
So now I have to wait for my callback that I missed. Oh how did I miss this call - yeah phone was on silent.

Happy Birthday To Me

So this year my birthday fell on a Sunday. I don't recall a sunday where I was at church on my birthday. I usually make it a point to be out of town on my birthday weekend.

As I lounged in bed sunday morning and started receiving birthday wishes, I wanted to acknowledge each person with a thank you and one memory I had about them or why they are such a special person to me. So I did that and I was enjoying it so much. I didn't want to get up to go to church.

Once I arrived at church, iIt was interesting to be called the birthday girl all during church and kind of ackward. I know people have the best of intentions and I appreciate each and everyone of the individuals that wished me a personal wish at church.

AW threw me a birthday party at her parents home in O'Side. I was so grateful that MR, SW, AW, JS, MB, JS, EL, CB, GH were able to celebrate with me. There are many individuals that mean so much to me but this is the core group of who I think of right away as individuals who helped my move to San Diego so smooth and have continued to be true friends.

MR - I don't even know where to begin with this lady. It would be so easy for me to just relax and chill at home on the weekends but it is she that helps me remember that life is about living and going on adventures. As well as making sure that we meet the newest people who visit our ward.

SW - she is just my chameleon friend. People may see her at first and see what a classy dresser she is but she is also just full of surprises. Her range in music is so broad.

AW - when I grow up I hope to be more like AW. She is kind, beyond generous and very positive.

JS - this guy really makes me want to be a supportive to my single mother friends. He loves the Gospel and is so willing to serve at any time he is able.

MB - he is also a chameleon in that he may surprise you with  his quick comments and responses. He is also very willing to help out when possible.

JS - he is also very service oriented and diligent about going to the temple with JS every week. I appreciate his kind words when I probably need them the most and while they are simple things when he notices something he just says the right thing.

EL - this lady, is such a good friend to me always willing to help me with whatever I need or just listen to my concerns.

CB - I haven't gotten to know him that well but I know how much joy he brings to EL and that alone makes me want to be a friend to him.

GH - my snowbird friend and FHE partner. He is so full of energy and ready to encourage me with kind words.

There are so many people I wish I could have celebrated with last night but I just couldn't. I love my family they are so understanding and loving; and my friends in San Diego, Utah, AZ, and Cypress, TX and everywhere else they are are like my extended family members.

I appreciate all the kind words and birthday wishes.

Nothing like a sharp pain in your chest to wake you while you are sleeping

Last night I went to bed relatively early for me 9 pm and woke up around 10:30 pm with a sharp pain in my chest and not able to breath.
I got up and that helped my breathing so I thought is this heartburn, indigestion or a heart attack. The pain was intense and I tried laying back down and that made it worse.
So I got dressed and looked around my place and sat in my living room as the pain subsided and my breathing was not as strenous. I thought about calling 911 but didn't think I needed to as I was still quite coherent didn't have any other pain and figured I would go to bed.
However, as I walked to my room I thought ...better call 911 or go to urgent care just in case because the pain is still there.
So off I went to Scripss Urgent Care in La Jolla. Yes, I know not the smartest thing to do but I felt fine aside from the pain.
I parked close to the entrance and explained my symptoms. They took some info, my copay and took me to a room and did an EKG. The first one was too shaky. The second one appeared fine but they ran some blood work and did a chest x-ray.
The doctor finally came back in around 1 am and said everything looked normal but I had two options I could stay for another couple of hours for observation he would draw more blood to see if maybe I did have some heart issue or I could go home. However, I would have to make a follow up appointment with my PCP as he could see that there was a couple of stones in my gall bladder. Which he thought is what caused the pain in my chest. He also suggested I do a stress test for my heart. I told him I would do both those things as I felt silly for being there and the pain had subsided.
I have an appointment on Monday and I will be honest not too happy of the possibility of stones or that I got scared awake.

Birthday Blues when I started not so blue now that I ended typing

It's official I have the birthday blues. I was super excited a month of so ago but now on the first day of Spring I am nowhere near as excited.

I keep thinking what do you have to show for your time on Earth? So my answers are simple:

I am single - I am ok with that but you know it kind of makes me think about something my SIL E has said to me in the past about having companionship and someone to grow old with which ironically makes me think of Texas, Big Foot, Val Kilmer. Only a few will get the names and individuals. Now that makes me laugh.

I have a job - overall I love my job, my boss is great but times are hard and the workhours are long. Some individuals don't pull their weight and sometimes I think I do the same. So my new outlook is keep my chin up and smile and keep working hard.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - my membership is probably one of my most treasured possessions but it's not even a possesion. I have been so blessed by being a member; I have a testimony that helps me keep focused on what matters most about life.

I have great friends - I have been blessed with great friends in SD and OC and in other states. I just have been missing the old days when things were so much easier and I had no responsibilities.

I have a great family - I was adopted by the Lopez and Michaud family and I love them. I am not near them but I have wonderful memories of my family. I was also adopted by the Eldred family and have an amazing brother KE and SIL EE who had three amazing children. These children who are now adults have brought so much joy to my life. I love SE, LE, and NE to the moon and back (actually infinity and beyond). Typing this really made me smile.

I am so recalling some of my favorite birthday celebration memories:

Skateway, Pizza Party and Slumber party - yes my birthdays growing up were huge. My parents allowed me to take most of the girls in my class to skateway then have dinner at a pizza place and a couple were allowed to spend the night over. I did this most of my elementary time and junior high years. Gosh so many stories for these years.

Getting kidnapped by Debi, Denise and Cathy - they kidnapped and blindfolded me. I don't quite recall what we did but I dare say maybe skateway. Anyhow I just remember having so much fun with them that night. I do know we were in high school.

Ice Dogs Birthday Party - I had a huge party when I worked at Dominguez Water Company. A few of the managers and VP's coordinated this and we had a huge group attend an Ice Dogs game and we had a tailgate before. My brothers and nephew were able to attend. This was one of the greatest parties ever given to me by my bosses!!

Don Jose - the only restaurant in La Palma, CA that still gives you a free dinner on your birthday. The last few years I lived in OC a group of my friends and I would go there and celebrate followed by cake at my place or someone else.

Spring Training in AZ - this has been the last few years. I treated myself to a long weekend in AZ to watch the Angels and visit my AZ friends. Last year was fun and PL made me the most beautiful cake. This one made me sad to know I missed that this year but also happy that I can plan for 2014.

The last milestone birthday I celebrated in Torrance - one of my co workers and I share the same day. However, I was having a milestone birthday. My office was beautifully decorated. A nice man sent flowers and ensured that my co-workers knew they needed to make a huge event; which they told him they were planning on doing so. A beautiful birthday cake was ordered.

In my life, I have had many amazing individuals come in and out of my life as friends and co workers who became friends. Some I have lost track off but I think that is what I enjoy about birthdays. The ability to look back and remember them and the great fun we had enjoying life and celebrating weddings, births of children, graduations, promotions and well we are all getting old together.

So, yes I may be getting old but as I typed this it put me in a better place and brought a smile to my face. So thank you for reading this.

Texting

One of the things I enjoy most about texting is just being able to reach out to someone really quick and say hi and let them know you are thinking of them.

The least thing I like is when you text someone and they don't respond - I mean my text gets lost in the process because I am sure such individuals would never not respond to me right?

So when I texted my niece today I was pleasently surprised that she texted me right back and we engaged in a silly but fun text conversation. I cherish these moments when she takes time out of her busy schedule to just chat and let me be silly with her.

So N you would be the best birthday gift and I hope your senior year spring break rocks!!

Life is good!!!

I had yet another great weekend and yes, I still have a cold.

I cleaned my kitchen cabinets saturday morning. Went to a play to see MR's nephew. The plays are something I really enjoy. I am grateful that MR invites me to enjoy these great  plays. We had dinner at Filipis in Escondido and it was yumminess.  MR, LB , KR, AW and I ate there. Then AH joined us at the play. These ladies are amazing! I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

Today was our ward potluck and it was so much fun. I was super sleepy but Sister G made our meal so much fun. Lets just say JS dared AW to kiss someone for $20 and she did which only led to more kissing dares, it was hilarious but fun.

I also received a voice mail from PL who called to see what was up. I emailed her since I knew she was at church and keep thinking we are due for a call. She hadn't read my e-mail so it made me happy to know we were both thinking of each other.

NE is closer to graduating and I am excited to see where she decides to attend college.

Yes, life is good! !!!

Audits, Allergies, Colds and Ibuprofen PM

I have been a bit worried the past three weeks about our ISO14001 Surveillance audit. It seems as though I have one audit after another and one project after another.

On March 3 I left a dinner party relatively early because I felt cold and just not good. I couldn't figure out if I was just feeling blue or was I fighting something. Sure enough I was fighting a cold. I continue to fight such cold.

So last night as I left work I remembered when we had our audit 6 months ago I was 10 minutes late for the start time due to allergies and a sinus headache. So I vowed I would be on time if not early and thought I better take some Tylenol PM to fall asleep and wake up on time.

I arrived at CVS and there was no Tylenol PM so I bought Ibuprofen PM. I got home by 8 and took it and found myself in bed by 8:45 pm and not sure when I fell asleep but it was way before 10.

I had planned to wake up at 4:45 but opted to do 5:30. However, I have a great co-worker who called me at 5:15 to make sure I was awake, which I was.

Well my throat was hurting a little in the morning but I went through my audit with flying colors. We are the last site he audits.

Ironically this is the first afternoon I have felt like I have more energy than I have the past two weeks. Remember a week ago I called in sick as I wanted to just sleep as I had a slight fever and aches and could hardly talk.

I am beginning to wonder does my stress trigger me to wear my immune system down and get sick before an audit? I would say yes. So my lesson learned from this audit (as I start a coughing fit) relax your team knows the stuff you put up on boards and talk about at the KPI meetings.

I can't believe I did this moment

Let me tell you about my morning today.

I woke up around 5 am and thought wow I feel wide awake and it is 5 am I love DST. I also realized I had a runny nose from my cold and thought blow your nose and go back to sleep and rest.

So when my alarm went off at 6:30 and I just kind of lounged for a second I thought alright I feel good and I am going to be on time. When all of a sudden I heard someone on the radio say it was 7:20 I was like what? How could this happen?

Easily, although I somehow managed to move all my clocks forward an hour on Sunday morning. I didn't think about my alarm clock. Why? Well my alarm clock is my backup alarm. However, last night I was wide awake at 11:00 pm texting, commenting on FB statuses and checking email on my primary alarm my personal cell. So I decided it turn it off like your work cell and that is where things went wrong.

Yes, the girl at work that send the following e-mail out is the one who showed up 20 minutes late to work this morning.

Tuesday -

So here it is another day...Tuesday.

I was not a happy camper when I got home last night and there was a car parked in my spot.
Now if you have been to my place you know why. This would mean I would have to find a parking spot quite a distance away.

Luckily my one neighbor that I think has lost his mind - said I should have the car towed. I responded  " I really don't want to take such drastic measures I will go in for a little bit and come back". I had parked right behind my spot but still hung over onto my other two neighbors who I was 100% sure were in for the night.

He looked at me and said "It's good you are kind and thoughtful and don't want to create drama you can park in my spot my car is gone for the night. Then he continued to rattle off all the parking spot numbers that are not being used.

I was like great time to have a cold and not be able to retain this information. So off I went to my place put some items away and changed into my pajamas and wondered what numbers did he say I could park in? I wrote a note asking the individual to not park there again or i would have them towed the next time. ( I took a picture of the car license plate with the note so that I woudl have proof in the future). It seemed like a smart thing to do and I really felt that because of how I was being inconvenienced I would have them towed the next time this happens. 


So, as I walked back with note in hand back to my parking spot i thought well you are genious putting your pajamas on when you know you may have to park far away and walk a ways back to your place since you can't remember what spots are open or which one is that man's parking spot he offered you.   Luckily the man was out by the pool smoking and I asked him if I could park in his spot. He said yes and again rattled all these other spot numbers. I told him that I really appreciated his kindness. His response "no problem, you need to get some rest you work long hours and you sound sick so go park and go to bed". Now I appreciated his generosity but I was also a little bit creeped out that a neighbor that I have never interacted with and I think has lost his mind knows what kind of hours I keep at work and that he could tell I was sick.
So my question to you is - is it worth it to have it towed if they park there again?

Which poses a couple of questions:

If that car is parked there again should i have it towed? My initial response is deal with it document and eventually if it becomes a nuisance yes but really is it worth it even then?

The other question is should I be freaked out that someone in my neighborhood knows about my comings and goings ?

Monday Blues

I didn't work a whole lot as planned last week due to feeling under the weather and then I called in sick for Friday. I hoped to kick my cold in the butt and be at my desk on Saturday with peace and quiet around me so I could get everything done.


Unfortunately my cold had other plans for me and I laid at home all day Saturday and Sunday. Last night I had a rough time falling asleep and it happened sometime before 2 am even though I went to bed at 10.

I woke up at 7 and managed to get showered and dressed for work and arrived a little late but felt worn out from getting ready and driving to work.

My 10 am meeting was a no show as usual but it really got to me. Why? Well I have a lot of action items that deal with this individual and aside from saying a very unfriendly hello this individual is just sending me e-mails asking for information which angered me more. Yes angered. So as I sat and wrote down an e-mail asking for a status update on our open items I felt my eyes tearing up. I know, no crybabies allowed and it is a lame reaction but cut me some slack I am sick and I am tired and I have my French executives coming tomorrow and an audit to end the week.

I didn't want to sound mean or aggressive in the e-mail and a couple of people reviewed it and said I was too nice and it sounded as though the other person was not doing their job. My boss caught me in the hallway and asked me if I was ok and what did I need from him today to help me today. I just looked at him and it must have been with discouragement and he asked me if I was ok. I told him I was and that what I really needed was for this other individual to honor his meetings and deadlines and for him to support me after I sent his other direct report an e-mail.

My boss asked me to not send the e-mail and that we could all meet to talk about what we needed to get done. I looked at him and said ok I wont send the e-mail but seriously you don't have time to sit with us to see what we need to get done.

So the e-mail was not sent and the person just agreed to meet with me at 3 or 3:30 today - wish me luck. I keep saying to myself Don't cry shopgirl, except I say HR girl.

Some days set your world on fire

and some days they sink like stones. That's when your heart will cry out, until your body is numb.

Yes, that is how I am feeling lately. I feel like some days my world is on fire and nothing can go wrong even when I feel stones pulling me down. Yet I can't manage to let my heart cry out. I tried and even seeing The Impossible was not enough.

So today I went on a little break and drove to Elfin Forest while playing On the Road very loud and enjoyed the following lyrics:

So when the sun is coming up and you go..and there's still so many things you don't know
Don't you look back, got no doubt that I will see you on the road
and when the world's laying you low
why don't you let me carry your load
when things get bad
you know you'll have the friends all along the road

Which helped me think of the following things that are sinking me down and what I can do to feel better.

I am not going to Tempe to see the Angels play in spring training and that could be part of my blah feeling.  I usually do this trek for my birthday and see Perri but this year there are time constrains due to work obligations. -  I am breaking down and getting cable so I can watch some Angels games this season (and Deadliest Catch) - please tell me this will cure my blues over not seeing Angels game live.

I keep thinking a lot about my mom and missing her. I think the reason for that is because my cousin Vero and Elisa are posting about their dad's health situation. I see pictures of him and I imagine what my mom would look like at this time if she were alive and it saddens me a little to know I don't have a mom and that my cousins are now dealing with aging parents. I hope I can snap out of this soon or at least by May. To make me feel better I am thinking I am going to frame a couple of my mom's pictures and hang them up at my place.

I am missing my cousins in Mexico. It has been a few years since I saw some of them and we have gone through longer periods of time of not seeing each other. Yet I miss them and think of how when we were younger we lived so close together, visited often and then it stopped. We are all now adults spread throughout Mexico and CA and virtually strangers. However FB has kept us connected in a small way. Not sure if this will be possible but I am going to plan a trip to Mexico maybe for December or early 2014 and I would like to see my family in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico City, Queretaro and Leon and maybe Cabo.

Then there is the fact that my youngest niece is graduating in May. I love my nieces and nephew so much but with N graduating it signifies the end of an era. The era where the kids are kids and I am an adult. We are all now adults and I wonder wait how did I get so old and what do I do now? Sounds silly I know. I haven't come up with a game plan for this one; I think I am trying to figure out how to hold the tears back at NCL presentation, graduation and Bravo. Once I get through that I am sure things will be great. Which reminds me I need to find out how last week went for N and E at the 24 hours thing they were doing at PDHS.

Dancing Queens

So I don't have many pictures of myself as a young child and the ones I do I have on display on my piano. That may sound vain but they just remind me of my early years who I was before I became this adult.

This  is going to sound strange but the pictures remind me of my parents - although they are not in the pictures I know they were taking the pictures and that brings me joy.

Today when my cousin Cynthia posted pictures on my timeline it was super touching and it didn't help that I was in sacrament meeting at church and just started tearing up. They were pictures I had never seen and just touched my heart. As I saw a picture of her with her dad (my Godfather Carlos Michaud Jimenez) I couldn't stop but think of him and my mom. I know she misses her dad and I KNOW I miss my mom. I think I have been super sensitive as I have been thinking about my mom for the past week and bothered that I don't remember her voice. Weird huh? I have also just missed those moments when we would cuddle and she would run her hands through my hair.

The picture below was probably taken at Christmas, I remember the dress as being brown with the pink stitching/designs. It was one of my favorites. My mom would always buy me dresses...she spoiled me. I am dancing with my oldest cousin Lulu and Cynthia who is 9 months younger than me.
I didn't plan on blogging about this but I am so as I see this picture I am grateful for my mom and dad. I think this picIture just shows how my family loves to dance and we are dancing queens. I am my mom 's daughter and wish I would have been a better daughter to her and hope that I have made her proud.