Month: March 2015

The Non-Wrestling Fan Has an Opinion!

Faith

I can appreciate a good storyline, which is probably why I sat through endless episodes of Raw and Smackdown with my sister, and roommate, Chara. (You can view her opinions on her blog: http://www.queenchara.wordpress.com). Since I haven’t been watching wrestling for very long, I can only form opinions on recent events, and of Wrestlemania itself. So, on that note, here it goes. Honestly, who ever knew I’d be writing an opinion blog about, wrestling? *Faints!*

I actually don’t know where to begin here. Let’s start off with the intercontinental title, which Daniel Brian, or, if you prefer, the Yes-Man won! I partially saw that coming, but at the same time, didn’t. I’m always amazed at the turn of events that happen in wrestling… period. So, of course, the whole stadium was chanting “YES” for his win! What a way to start the show!!

Secondly, has Sting bitten off more than he can chew? Maybe. Yet, we still try to support his vision, to take Triple H down. Did that happen at Wrestlemania? No! In fact, Triple H, dressed as the terminator when he entered, he won! He won, just like he was set out to do. Very disappointing for Sting fans, but I see a confrontation on either Raw or Smackdown this week, and it definitely won’t be pretty.

Now, the Knockouts tag team match? The Bella twins thought they would won. Did that actually happen? Nope! Paige and AJ Lee came together to win that tag team match! Here’s a prediction for Raw. Paige and AJ Lee go back to being enemies now that the match is over. Chara and I both see Paige requesting a match out of AJ, and vise versa. We shall see on that.

Who beats The Undertaker? No one, except one did! This time, however, Bray Wyett bit off more than he could chew… and swallow! He always said he was “The New Face of Fear,” except The Undertaker proved that “The Old Face of Fear” still prevails. I would say after this match up that Bray Wyett was shivering in his socks. Even I know that you don’t mess with “The Old Face of Fear.” I already see Bray Wyett milking it for all its worth until next year’s Wrestlemania. Mr. Wyett won’t get a rematch like he so wants.

I know I’m mixing the order up, but the next match that comes to mind is the match between Randy Orton. Randy, of course, won against Seth Rollins. He, of course was pissed after that match ended not in his favour. From what I remember of him, I didn’t like Randy Orton at all. When I started watching wrestling with Chara, I realized I didn’t like how sure of himself Seth Rollins was. So, Randy was the lesser of two evils.

Oh, yes… the match between Rusev and John Cena. Rusev was the United States Champion, and in my opinion, he didn’t even deserve it. He’s from Russia, damn it! I can’t say if I like, or dislike John Cena, but he definitely took care of Rusev at Wrestlemania. After the match, you could see Rusev blaming Alana, his sidekick, shall we say… or, maybe not after this match?

And now the intense match between Roman Raynes and Brock Lessner… what an intense match! Just when we thought Brock was going to win, when Seth Rollins intersected the match, and cashed in his money. This meant that he could compete in this matchup, how unfair is that? Seth Rollins was so pissed about Randy kicking his ass that he intrudes on this match? Or, rather, he didn’t *just* intrude, he won the whole damn match! So, now *he’s* the World Heavyweight Champion now. Did he deserve it? Not really. I know though that I was more shocked by the turn of events that took place. My sister, however, she was more livid than ever, but I definitely could see why.

So, that’s Wrestlemania. This is the start of more opinion blogs to come, I think. Even though I’m not a huge wrestling fan, I can still appreciate a good storyline, and make predictions on said storyline. Maybe I’m more of a fan than I realized? Nah! Not likely! 😛

Well, this opinionated blog is complete. Enjoy the read!

Church Fees Almost Paid Off!

Faith

Dear Nana;

Again I write to you. I think it is fair that I keep you updated, isn’t it? Well, here’s my update thus far. Steven and I are taking care of the church fees first, and we’re almost done. We only have the minister fee to pay for. Someone that Steven knows, by the name of Andrew offered to pay for the organist fee, which was a huge help!

I’m sure if you were still here, you’d contribute in some way. Or, maybe you are, and I am just not seeing it yet. I’m still grateful though, and glad I am tackling these fees before anything else. It helps me with budgeting after, for my dress and so on. As I’ve mentioned to you before, my color scheme is royal blue and silver. I love those colors together!

I still need to book an appointment, and start looking for wedding dresses. Also need to figure out how much I am willing to spend on a wedding dress. Oh, Nana, so much to think about. I’m just glad I can write to you often, no matter if you hear my thoughts or not. Although, I know you do hear me, each and every day.

So, I will keep writing to you as often as I think of things to tell you about. Until then, this letter is complete!

Love,

Your Faithie

One Crack of my Ankle Sends My Knee into Endless Pain!

Faith

Well, this title should say all… this morning was fine, I wasn’t in near as much pain as I am now. When I was sitting in the living room talking to my sister about random stuff, my body decided to stretch… fine, dandy. Except, my ankle cracked, which was what started this whole pain cycle with my knee. Pain radiated from my ankle to my knee, and ever since that point, I have been in extreme pain ever since. I even had to take my long acting pain med, as well as my top off one. Has it helped? Not so far.

Steven assisted me in the bathroom just after I took my pain meds. Here’s a sign that it will officially be, as soon as Steven returns with it, a transfer board day. Why? As I pivoted with his assistance, my knee gave out and I fell onto the toilet… ugh, ow!!!

Now I am patiently waiting for Steven to return with my transfer board. If only he could come back soon enough… pain isn’t getting better. It’s staying the same. IF someone were to ask me to rate my pain on a scale from 0 to 10, I’d exceed it and say 20!!! Ow!!

Well, this rant of a blog is done. Too much in pain right now.

Dance Time! Let the Creating Begin!!

Faith3 Comments

As of last week, I went back to my usual routine of dance class on Mondays. We are getting ready for our end of year show on May 8th and 9th at GCTC. Last week, I observed for the start of the practice, while they went over a part that was already put in place while I was away, and in hospital. Then, I joined in.

I’m hoping to use my crutches in the piece somehow. and I’m wearing these black high heeled boots. I can’t wait! I also know I can’t give too much of our show prep away to you blog readers. I will tell you that if you live in Ottawa, and are free then, you should come. It is gonna be awesome! The Monday group will be performing on May 8th, and that’s the group I’m in!!! Can’t wait for you all to see it!

Next week I’ve got to bring my crutches to practice. It’s gonna feel nice to dance with my crutches again. Let’s just hope my knee holds out on show day! You hear that, knee? Keep your shit together! Inside note, some of you may remember that line from the book, The Fault in our Stars where Hazel talks to her lungs! Love it!

Now it is time for me to catch up on the episode, and premiere of Big Brother Canada Season 3 I missed. Until next time, this dance related blog is done!!

I Must Love Hospital *That* Much… Not!!!

Faith

As I said in my previous huge update blog, I would be writing again about yet another hospitalization. This one, however, wasn’t nearly as long. Thank goodness!

Most people may, or may not know that I have had gallstones for at least a year or so. Usually stomach related issues aren’t necessarily the gallstones that caused them. It still didn’t help, but I still went on with my life with my gallbladder. As of this last hospitalization, not anymore.

When I went to get my staples removed from my shunt surgery, I asked the nurse there if right side pain was normal after shunt surgery, she said it was. She said the muscles in my stomach would be sore, since they went in there to thread the tube. The one thing I didn’t click into at that moment was the fact that my neck pain didn’t last nearly as long as stomach pain did. This should have been a sign in itself, but it wasn’t.

Late one evening, about a week or so after I got out of hospital, the pain in my right side got so bad that it was making me nauseous, and none of my pain medication was touching the pain. Here we go again, back to the Civic Hospital by ambulance. That hospital seems to love me, doesn’t it? Ugh!!

Before I went into the ambulance, the paramedics gave me a shot into my muscle of Gravel to try and ease my nausea. Then, it was off to the hospital… again… round two! Not to mention, I’d be missing another family gathering with Steven’s family… so sad! I wanted to go too!

When they got me settled, I went for an ultrasound of my stomach to see if this was a shunt related issue or not. Turns out, this time, it wasn’t. So, at that point, I was transferred over to the General Surgery team. The general surgeons told me that I had what is called Pancreatitis. Who would have known? Good thing I went in! Wow!

The pain was difficult, yes, but the nausea was the most difficult. I had to get one of the General Surgery doctors to make an order for IV Gravol, instead of pill form. The General Surgery team told me that I would be admitted to hospital until the Pancreatitis cleared, and then they’d schedule me to remove my gallbladder.

Also, when I first went into the ambulance, I was told I had a temperature of 38.7 degrees celcius… too high, and I also was experiencing having the chills. This happened again in hospital where my temperature went up into the 38 degree margin. This meant, they couldn’t use my PICC Line to get blood cultures… they needed two! Oy!

Also during my stay in observation, before I  was able to receive Gravel in IV form, I threw up twice… not pleasant, at all! Thank you nausea!!!

When I finally went up onto a floor, A2, to be exact, I had one nurse who was insanely panicky that my PICC Line wasn’t aligned properly.  She ordered a chest X Ray, then promptly didn’t document anything specific about it. All she said was not to use my PICC Line! ARG!!!! This meant, since I received Gravol and Benadryl by IV, they needed to find a vein and insert an IV… why? I hate insanely panicky nurses! Turns out though, one centimeter difference didn’t matter. This meant, after a day or so, I could use my PICC Line again!! Yay!!

A few days later, the doctors could tell my Pancreatitis was disappearing, so they put a plan into action to remove my gallbladder, most likely the next day. That was comforting to hear, even though I was still dealing with nausea. Ugh!

Surgery day!!! The surgery was early that day.  All the normal people came to speak to me and ask me questions. My fiancé, my Auntie Alison, my sister Chara, and Dave all waited for me to come out from the recovery room. They all were there once I was settled back on the floor. The one thing that sticks out the most is when my sister said that she could see the resemblance between my Auntie and I. I was floored!

Discharge day!!! This meant I could go home!!! Yay!!! The nurse that I had also said that I didn’t need my antibiotics for my shunt anymore, and that the Infectious Disease team was in contact with the blood work, which revealed no more infection. This meant, my PICC Line could be removed! This also meant I could have my first proper shower I’ve had in ages, within a few days. Yay!! The nurse did, however, tell me that I was being put on two types of antibiotics for my gallbladder… key note, those antibiotics had side effects of nausea. I sadly got the nausea!  Ugh!!

So, there you have it! Now, I’m hoping I don’t miss any further family gatherings. When’s Easter? Knock on wood that I attend it!!

Well, this is another blog done. Hopefully the last blog for a long while of this magnitude.

Update!!!

Faith

January 21, 2015: Headed to hospital – why? Well, this begins my story, and journey of my one month stay in hospital. It all started with severe pain in my stomach. It felt as though someone was pulling my stomach in all directions, like straining muscles. I definitely didn’t clue in that it could be something with my shunt. After plenty of tests, it turned out that I had fluid build up from my shunt in my stomach. Since Ottawa’s General Hospital doesn’t deal with Neurosurgery, I was taken by ambulance, a day or two later to the Civic Hospital. This is where my journey began… my long, and somewhat frustrating one.

Extracting fluid from stomach = needles: Most people know how I am with needles. We aren’t friends, I can tell you that much. In fact, when the Ultrasound Tech told me it was time for the freezing needle, I already was panicking… no Adavan for this procedure. Instead of using a bigger needle to extract the fluid, they used a smaller needle so then I wouldn’t have to be poked multiple times with freezing needles. Very smart idea on their part, but still an incredible amount of anxiety. In future, note to self, any procedure that involves needles, anxiety medication first. All I will say is everyone, including my fiancĂ© could hear my screams of anxiety from the Ultrasound waiting room… sorry all!

Let the shunt externalization begin!: A few days after some fluid was taken from my stomach, it was time for the first surgery. My neurosurgeon took the tube out of my stomach and externalized it through a drainage system. Doing this would hopefully get rid of the infection that was there. Let the waiting, and sample taking begin! A sample of CSF(Cerebral Spinal Fluid) would be taken to be tested every two days.

Who knew PICC Lines could be so useful? I didn’t!: I seriously thought it was just another reason to poke me, when in actual fact, it saved the amount of poking needing to be done substantially. This time, I remembered to ask for Adavan before the procedure, which honestly made me tolerate it a lot easier. The PICC Nurse used ultrasound equipment to find a good vein for the PICC to go into. It only took one freezing needle, and I was much more cool as a cucumber about it. When the nurse was putting the line through, it somehow decided to go into my neck instead of my chest. I did various things to help fix this, so it wasn’t too bad.

Benefits of a PICC Line:

  • Far less pokes for placement of IV’s
  • Nurses can draw blood right from the PICC Line
  • You are able to use your PICC Line in the community, if needed

Two negative cultures, then one positive: So, in this first round, two cultures come back negative, no traces of infection. The third one, however, different story. So, instead of doing what I would’ve thought smart, they held onto hope that with stronger antibiotics, I would have three negative cultures, then be done with it and get home. Did that happen? No. I was quite bummed when they told me that, again, the third culture came back positive.

Shunt removed, EVD(External Ventricular Drain) inserted: I may remind you blog readers that this was my second surgery of three… yes, three. So, now, I have this tube running from my left side of my forehead into a drainage system, basically taking over my entire shunt’s job that happens internally, and doing so externally. I seriously was hoping for three negative cultures so I could be done with this. It was the middle of February by this point.

Three negative cultures… hurray!!!: This meant it was time to schedule me to get a new shunt put back in. Then, hopefully after that I’d move back up to the 7th floor. Since I wouldn’t have any drains in me anymore. I was super excited about that!! Final surgery was successful, but boy did I forget about the pain I would feel when I woke up.

Oh my goodness… can’t move my neck… forgot about this: The last time I had the full shunt replaced was when I was ten, so until I was faced with the pain again, I kinda forgot how much pain I experienced when I was ten. After surgery, about a day later, I moved up to the seventh floor. I was finally on my way to feeling better.

February 21, 2015: As of this day, it meant I had been in hospital for a month. Not the most pleasant thing to remind myself of, but by this point, I was on my way to go home. I actually left the hospital the following Monday, and got all my staples removed within that week.

There you have it, the biggest update in awhile… thank you shunt! The next one is sadly another hospitalization, but trust me, nowhere near as long!!