We Want a Re-do

This has been a fairly crazy, off-kilter, and unexpected week. Thankfully my last two Crew reviews of this year were ready and scheduled for this week. (We will be on the Crew again next year too!) Our schedule wasn't too busy until Sunday night when I ended up in the emergency room with severe pain. I've had this pain before and it was pancreatitis. I most definitely didn't need that again, so agreed to go to the ER much sooner than I normally would hoping it was early enough to prevent pancreatitis this time.

The positive from it all was the ultrasound finally, after seven years, showed a large stone in my gallbladder. In the past I waited too long and the stones had always passed out of the gallbladder. Occasionally I would end up with pancreatitis for my trouble, occasionally the stone made it out safely.

My view in the ER (notice the time... that's 2:30 am and I didn't have a diagnosis yet). Then my view Monday morning at home. Such a better view at home.

From the ER I received IV painkillers that I almost turned down, a prescription for pain medication that I haven't taken, a CD of my ultrasound results, and instructions to get the gallbladder taken out pronto. Sigh. I've wanted that thing out for years, but nobody would take a chance on it without proof of stones. Turns out the first available surgery date at my preferred hospital is December 1st, when it will hopefully be done laparoscopically. So, I'm just hanging on until then. But honestly, on the low (almost no) fat diet I've adopted since Sunday the gallbladder is significantly happier. Now just to straighten the rest of me out after the painkillers. They do not agree with my body.

We ended up rearranging most of our week to fit around my ER visit, the subsequent very late morning on Monday, an additional follow-up surgeon visit, and general sickly state of being. Fred took off a bunch of time this week to first sleep in after taking me to the ER, then to ferry Amber and me about. Primarily when I was still under the influence of the narcotic painkillers (bad bad bad painkillers. I hate them) and couldn't drive, then when I couldn't get Amber to some of her activities due to my own hastily scheduled appointments.

I'm counting it good though that I couldn't get into surgery when I really wanted it (you know, like yesterday). Biscotti now has an internal medicine specialist vet appointment this coming week. We was sick again last Friday evening. His regular vet is at her wit's end trying to heal him. He's back on the antibiotic that holds the UTI barely at bay and on anti-nausea medication. He seems happy and without pain this way. Friday night and Saturday morning he was clearly in pain. He's still pretty needy and wants to be beside me every possible second, but he's not hissing at shadows anymore.

We finished packing our Operation Christmas Child boxes on Saturday for drop-off at church on Sunday. Plus the other kitties looking especially adorable this week.

School happened this week, but it was pretty much all by the seat of our pants. Monday was a total bust considering Amber had two medical appointments in the afternoon and I was still loopy.  Tuesday was writing, spelling, her critical thinking history workbook, and geography. And all of that was pushing it. Wednesday was a scheduling nightmare, but while I was at my surgical consult Amber was at home with Fred and took it upon herself to work on spelling, history, and geography again since I had nothing planned out. I was quite thankful when I returned home to see such productivity.

Thursday was normal co-op classes, even if we weren't feeling so spiffy. We made it through, but have ended up canceling some Friday activities. Amber is clearly in a dysautonomia flare now. I'm not sure if it is due to the long night Sunday, the anxiety and stress of a sick mother, the weather changes or all of the above. This is the worst flare we've seen in a while - complete with massive migraines, small fiber neuropathy flares (she can't sweat at all right now), breathing trouble, and joint pain. Her blood pressure is seemingly uncontrolled today. Sigh.

I'm just hoping to calm her down enough for the much anticipated flute performance tomorrow. She'll go no matter what, because she's a trooper. I'd like her to actually enjoy it though.

Today! First lunch where we could get some low fat but yummy food when we felt grumpy. Then watching her next IEW writing lesson. She's actually reviewing for our history discussion on the floor. "It feels good like this."

Despite feeling crummy today we're working on a few school subjects because it feels more like a normal day if we do so. I'm not sure we can take any more wacky days this week. There was no math or science this week because they require brain power that neither of us had available. Next week is looking iffy for the more difficult subjects too.

This weekend we are going to rest, recuperate and enjoy the event where Amber is performing. Next week brings an appointment for an entirely different medical issue for me (I'm hoping it's nothing), Biscotti's vet appointment, plus all the regular stuff.

But please come back Monday to see the results of the Crew's Blue Ribbon Award for our favorite review products of the year. You'll also see how Amber and I voted for those awards.

Happy Weekend!

In case you missed it, recently on the blog:

• Blogging Through the Alphabet - A is for Anxiety Resources
• B is for Books, What else? (Blogging Through the Alphabet)
• {Review} GrapeVine Studies - Old Testament 1, Level 4
• {Review} U.S. History Detective, Book 1

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