Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
Cognitively, I've been pretty good lately; not as tired and mentally confused as usual. This has been great, and I hope it continues for a while. Physically, however, I've not been doing as good lately. Tuesday evening my mom and dad popped over to our house for a quick visit. When I was walking up the driveway to go back inside I fell. I'm not sure why I fell because there is no snow or ice, and I didn't trip on anything. I just collapsed onto the pavement. I didn't hurt myself too badly, no broken bones or anything. I did hurt the palm of my hand when I tried to stop myself on the ground, my foot is banged up a bit, and my knee hurts pretty badly when I try to bend it. I took a Jacuzzi bath that night for about 1 hour but still woke up very sore and had a painful time trying to walk.
Also on Tuesday night I was very clumsy when trying to do my injection. I was all set to inject when I dropped my syringe on the hardwood floor in our living room. I picked up my syringe to find the needle all bent like an accordion. Oops! I was really upset. David took a syringe that I had used last week and put the medicine into that one for me to inject. It hurt a bit but not as badly as it would have to try and straighten out the accordion-needle.
I had my yearly appointment with my neuro last week; he said I'm doing fine. He asked me a lot of questions about how I was feeling and about any problems, and then he did the usual tests. This time I did not have to do the heel-toe walk across the room; this is good because I've been practicing lately and I suck at this exercise. Lose my balance and almost fall over every time.
The kitty house/ shelter David built last week is quite popular with the stray cats in the neighbourhood now. We have 3 cats who regularly hang out, nap, and eat inside the shelter. It's pretty cute to look out and see them napping on the kitty beds and blankets.
Nothing else new to report. Hope everybody is doing OK.
This past Saturday was the 2-year anniversary of my first Rebif injection! I can't believe it's been 2 years since I started my injections. How time flies! It was 2 years ago today that my cat Spencer died. We still miss him so much. David proposed (finally!) 2 years ago today as well. It was such an emotional week for me - starting my Rebif injections, Spencer died, and David finally proposed.
I guess that I've been feeling OK lately; no more major falls, slips, or clumsiness has occurred. I've been very diligent at not missing any workdays (except for the day after my fall & needle-dropping incident 2 weeks ago). I haven't been extremely tired or mentally lost or confused lately.
I have a couple of all-day scrapbooking events coming up on the weekends with my sister-in-law Krista. I'm quite excited to have a day scrapbooking with others. We have one next month where there will be approximately 70 people scrapbooking; that's going to be lots of fun.
David's birthday is on Sunday. Last year I had a surprise party for him at our house, but this year I am just too tired and overwhelmed by everything that I am not even going to think about it. We'll just have a quiet day and celebrate with just us and the kitties. I don't think he was too impressed last year when he came home and found everybody hiding in the basement to surprise him!
January 26, 2007
Well, I did it again! I wiped out in the driveway Wednesday night. This time I slipped on the ice so I have an honest reason/ excuse; when I fell 3 weeks ago I just fell – didn’t slip on anything or trip. I stepped off the walkway stair onto the driveway and slid on the ice. I fell really hard and I’m really surprised I didn’t break anything! Nobody was with me to witness this incident!
I’m really not feeling good today. My stomach is kind of nauseous and I’ve been having problems with my ‘elimination of wastes’ lately (and I’ve been eating so much fiber and bran flakes lately – still not much happening!). I’ve already decided that I won’t be doing to darts tonight; I’m going to stay home and try to rest and get caught up on some housework.
It’s been extremely cold outside lately. It is -30ºC with the wind chill! Brrr! I am really concerned about the outdoor/ stray cats that live in our backyard. David built an awesome shelter for them, with lots of kitty beds and blankets to help keep them warm. The cold weather doesn’t seem to bother me as much as everybody around me, except for the really cold wind hitting my face. David jokes that it’s because my body is half-numb and I just can’t feel the cold!
Tomorrow I’m going to an all-day scrapbooking event with Krista, and I’m really looking forward to it; I just hope I’m feeling a bit better than I am today. It starts at 9:00 AM and runs until 9:00 PM, but I’m sure I’ll be stopping around suppertime. A company called “Paws on Scrapbooks” is going to be there all morning selling scrapbooking supplies, and I really hope that it is all supplies that are pet-oriented. Most of my scrapbooking is about my cats and I’m going to do some pages with the 3 greyhounds that live a few houses over, so hopefully I’ll be able to buy some new and cute pet materials tomorrow.
I am kind of ‘bummed out’ about my hours at work. The guy who has been doing the scheduling and hours for the past couple of years was let go a few weeks ago and there is somebody new doing this job. I’ve been very fortunate to have a consistent schedule for the past year: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM Monday – Friday (with the exception of sometimes working on Sunday afternoons). But for the first 3 weeks in February I am scheduled to work 3:00 PM – 9:30 PM! This is going to be so tough for me as I usually find working normal day hours difficult. We’ll have to see how everything goes for me.
Oops, I did it again! Another fall, this time inside. Yesterday morning I had just put some wood in our woodstove and was about to go upstairs but somehow missed the bottom step and wiped out again. I was very fortunate (again!) to not be hurt too badly – just hurt my hand a bit as I tried to stop myself on the stairs. This is beginning to become a bit too regular – this is my 3rd fall this month! And I am trying to be careful; I pay attention when I’m moving. This is so frustrating! I’m almost scared to walk, especially outside now that there’s snow and ice everywhere. But I am trying to be very cautious and careful with every step.
I’ve been working the same shift (almost every week) for the past year; the guy who used to do the scheduling was let go and now there is a new guy doing this job. It sucks for me because now I’m back into the shift work with everybody else. Starting next week, I’m going to be working until 9:30 at night for 3 weeks. Yuck! I’m not sure what times to take my Provigil/ Modafinil to help me stay awake. This is definitely going to be a challenge for me.
I guess I’m just over overwhelmed with everything that has to be done. I feel like I’m getting behind in everything – work, laundry, cleaning the house, spending time with David and my family, etc. Everybody keeps telling me, “One day at a time”, but I think my motto should be “One hour at a time” as things seem to change so quickly for me from one moment to the next. I’m doing OK; I will get by.
I can’t believe how great I’ve been feeling lately. It’s almost like I’m in a dreamland. I’m almost back to my “normal” self again. I’ve been taking only 1 Provigil (Modafinil) pill per day and drinking 1 cup of coffee. I haven’t been as tired lately; I’m almost not able to sleep at night. I haven’t fallen since January 30. I truly hope this continues for a long, long time!
We’re going back to the Dominican Republic; I cannot wait! David and I are going with my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Tony again, and this time my cousin Kelci (who’s almost 18 years old) will be joining us. We had so much fun last year with Tony and Cathy, and having Kelci with us is definitely going to be a super bonus. I’m sure Kelci will be tons of fun to hang out.
We wanted to go to the same resort as last year but couldn’t, as it was booked. So this year we’re going to stay at the “Gran Bahia Principe” – it is located in Punta Cana as well. We looked up pictures and information on-line, and the resort looks absolutely incredible! We’re leaving April 7 and returning April 14. I am a bit worried about the size of the resort – it’s gigantic! It takes about 10 – 15 minutes to walk from the beach to the restaurants, and I just hope my legs are working well when we go. They have little golf carts (trolleys) that drive around to give lifts when you want to hop on. I’m also a bit worried about flying with my Rebif needles. They have to go carry on, and we had no problems last year flying with my syringes – but I am such a worrywart!
Saturday I’m going to an all-day scrapbooking event with Krista, Lori, and Connie – can’t wait. There’s going to be approximately 70 people scrapbooking; should be fun.
March 17, 2007
It's been quite a long time since my last entry. Things have been going OK. I haven't been feeling as tired/fatigued lately, until the past couple of days. My hours at work have pretty icky lately - working until 9:30 PM almost every week for the past 1 ½ months. Hopefully things will pick up there for me soon. I haven't missed a day from work since January! I am quite proud of myself for this accomplishment! I didn't miss any days during the entire month of February, and so far I haven't missed any days in March. Yippee!
Our trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic is fast approaching - we fly out of Halifax 3 weeks from tomorrow morning. I am getting quite excited. It's going to be lots of fun, especially hanging out with my cousin Kelci, who is almost 18 years old. We still have lots to do to prepare for our trip. I'm sure we'll be ready in time.
I registered my team for the Super Cities Walk for MS last week. My team names in the past were the "Kool Katz" and the "Krazy Katz". This year I had a hard time coming up with a team name so we're going to be the "Kit Katz". I've recruited quite a few new people to join my team this year; it'll be fun. If you want to learn more about the Super Cities Walk for MS, or check out my team, or donate/ pledge some money for our team (please, please - LOL), check out my team's website at:
Goodness, it has been a long time since my last entry. How time flies sometimes.
We went to Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic last month for a well-needed 1-week vacation. We stayed at a resort called the "Gran Bahia Principe" - gosh, it was so BIG! It was a beautiful resort, incredible and so well maintained, but it was so big! Tony, Cathy, & Kelci stayed in Villa #2, right by the beach. David and I stayed in Villa # 65, which was kind of close to the beach but a bit of walk. We were on the 3rd floor, so I was sometimes exhausted after the walk to our villa then up 3 flights of stairs. But there will little trams/ trains that were constantly driving around that people hopped on for a lift around the resort.
We had perfect weather the entire week - not 1 drop of rain. It was super hot, and even with super-strength sunscreen, I burned a bit. We had a great time, but I think if we go back to Punta Cana again next year I'd like to stay in a smaller resort.
The Super Cities Walk for MS is going to be on Sunday. I unfortunately was not able to raise as much money as I did the past 2 years, but I did raise some money and recruited some new people on my team. I hope the weather is good so my legs work OK. Two years ago it was cold and raining, causing my left foot to drop even more than usual and I kept tripping and falling on all the cracks in the sidewalk. That was a rough day. Last year we had beautiful weather and I did great! My mother and I walked together at a great pace, leaving the other members of our team way behind us. I hope it's good weather again this year.
I'm going to watch a big gymnastics competition tonight and tomorrow - the Eastern Championships. Gymnasts from Newfoundland, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick (yippee!), Quebec, and Ontario will be competing here in Saint John. I used to coach a competitive gymnastics team a few years ago, and I loved it. Some of the younger gymnasts I used to coach will be competing this weekend. I can't wait to see them do their routines, or to see the awesome gymnasts from Quebec and Ontario. Should be fun.
David (my loving and darling husband) bought me a Nintendo DS for Easter - it is so FUN! It's a hand held video game, and I have only 3 different games so far - "Brain Age", "Big Brain Academy", and "Bust-a-Move". I love the 2 "Brain" games because they really work my little brain with puzzles. Sometimes I feel so stupid when I can't remember things, or understand things. Hopefully this game will help exercise my brain. I'm having fun with my Nintendo.
May 30, 2007
Wow! It's been quite a long time since I've written here. Life's been busy, as usual!
We had the Super Cities Walk for MS in Saint John 3 weeks ago - the weather was perfect. We had quite a few people participate. I think we raised around $33,000 in the city. Not too bad. I did pretty good, for most of the walk; but I had to get the support vehicle to drive me to the finish line with only about ½ kilometer left - just couldn't finish this year. But we had a good time, and I met lots of really cute dogs participating in the walk!
My 33rd birthday was yesterday. It was a pretty uneventful day. Took the bus to work, worked my entire scheduled shift, David picked me up, and then went home to chill out, watch TV, and play with my Nintendo DS. I'm still working on getting a dog, and I was hoping for one for my birthday - no such luck! Tonight we're going to a BBQ at Sean and Krista's house - should be fun. Mom and Dad, Sean, Krista, and Benjamin, David and me will all be there. And hopefully there will be a birthday cake and a few presents for me!
I had a nice long weekend - most of Thursday off, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off! It was quite nice being able to just relax. I had an all-day scrapbooking event on Saturday; Krista and I had fun. Saturday night was our awards banquet for our Thursday night darts league - had a great time!
I went to the Eastern Gymnastics Championships a couple of weekends ago. It was so neat seeing a lot of the girls that I used to coach. I had a competitive gymnastics team, ranging in age from 6 to 16 years old, and they trained 4 or 5 times per week. I haven't seen most of them in 5 years. It was pretty neat to see them again.
I think David and I are going to stay in Mom and Dad's trailer next weekend! I am so excited! We haven't been out since last September, and this is my favourite place to go and "chill out" and relax. I am so excited to go out again. David spends lots of time walking around the campground meeting people, having a few beers. I spend most of the time walking the beach looking for beach glass, or inside the trailer working on my scrapbooks. Hopefully the weather is good next weekend.
Provincials for darts is this weekend here in Saint John. I quit the City & District league in September, but I'm going to go watch my old team play. They're having a blind draw shoot Friday night; randomly chosen partners play. I'm going to do the blind draw. Can't wait! But I haven't thrown a dart in over 3 weeks, so it should be quite interesting.
Provincials Championships for darts was held last weekend, on Friday night. Registration started at 7:00, and I decided around 7:15 that I was going to try and play. David dropped me off at the arena (so I could have a couple of beer), and in I went. It was really cool seeing so many people that I have not seen in the past year (or two). It was only $10 to register, and they randomly drew names for partners. I was very fortunate to get paired up with Jeff – a super fun and nice guy, and one of the best players in the province! There were 4 divisions, and we won 13/ 15 in our first round. Yippee! This put us in the top 16. Kept playing (Jeff is so awesome!) and we actually made it to the finals – me and Jeff, against Derek (another top shooter) and his partner (a guy I don’t know). We lost in the finals, but we had a great time, and we won $200 ($100 each) for coming in 2nd. I am so glad I decided to go.
Last Wednesday night, I went to the bar where we usually play our darts Friday nights for a meat shoot. It was only
$5 to play. There were only 6 of us there – me and 5 guys. I only won 1 game, but I had a great time. And because I was the only gal playing, I automatically won by default – a nice meat tray. I took my prize home and gave it to David; here are some pork chops I won for you! He looked at the meat and said, “those aren’t pork chops, dear. There are T-bones!” He got quite a good laugh at me. Anyways, I won 4 T-bone steaks for David, and he said they were really good! He’s excited for my going to play again next Wednesday!
We went to St. Martins Saturday and Sunday – my 1st time out there this year. It was really hot! My left leg was dragging a bit, but I did OK in wobbling around. Tony and Cathy were there, so we went to their beach house for supper, and we watched our video from the Dominican Republic for the 1st time. I did a little bit of scrapbooking, and had my stuff on the table in the trailer. Saturday night, I spilled ½ a beer all over my papers and photos – oops! What a mess.
My injections have been pretty painful lately! I think I must have a stronger batch than usual of Rebif, because every needle for the past month (except for 2) has been pretty painful. I do the injection (no problems) but when the Rebif goes in – ouch! It really hurts! I hope the month’s supply I pick up on Wednesday is better. Lately I haven’t been as tired as mentally “frazzled”, but I have been having yucky bowel problems! Definitely not fun! Hopefully this will get better, and soon!
I got my next monthly supply of Rebif 2 weeks ago, and my injections have been so great! I think I had a more acidic or stronger batch last month because my needles really hurt; now they’re good again!
If I have to miss another day from work due to bowel problems, I’m going to lose it! This is so frustrating (and painful at times). Other than that, I’ve been feeling OK – not too tired or numb. I still have occasional headaches (above my eyes) and pain in the back of my neck. So, except for the problems with my bowels, I’m doing well.
We went to St. Martins Saturday and Sunday and stayed at Mom and Dad’s trailer in the campground. It was great. David and I were walking through the campground, and he saw a beagle across the field at one of the RVs. Of course we had to go over and meet him. We turned the corner, and we saw another beagle there, a short fat one (shaped like a barrel). It was Merlyn and Spirit – the 2 cuties I met at the campground last summer. Was I ever excited! Beth (their owner) jumped up and gave me a hug. We spent the entire evening there (until 1:00 AM); I want a beagle even more now! They are the sweetest dogs; I just love them!
The RONA MS Bike Tour is this weekend – Saturday and Sunday. Participants cycle from Sussex to Rothesay on Saturday, and then from Rothesay to Sussex on Sunday. I’m going to volunteer for this amazing event again this year; Mom and I will be working the cyclists’ rest stop in Norton. I am quite excited. This will be the 3rd Bike Tour in our province, and every year it gets better and better!
David and I got a new camera last week – it’s awesome! It can also record video with sound. We’re having a lot of fun taking pictures. So far we have about 260 pictures on it, most of them are of our cats, our neighbour’s greyhound Bentley, and the beagles Merlyn and Spirit. I just need to learn how to transfer the pics onto our computer and have them printed. Our memory stick holds about 15,000 pics! Wow! I think it has great quality too. I took a bunch of pics of Merlyn and Spirit last weekend – I’ll have to get the pics on my website soon. I have a bunch of pics of them from last year. My website is:
http://tracey-lynn-caissie.piczo.com
and their pics are on the page entitled “Beautiful Beagles”.
Yesterday was a pretty good day for me! It was a "med-free" day - no injections, no Modafinil (Provigil) for fatigue, and no Tylenol or Ibuprofen for pain. It's very rare that I have an entire day without meds, but yesterday I did it! Today, I've had 2 Modafinil pills, and I have to do my Rebif needle tonight. At least I had one day off!
People always ask me if we have any pets, and I answer, "we have 3.5 cats". This always gets quite a fun reaction, then I explain we have our 3 indoor cats (Theodore, Preston, and Louie) and that we have a wild stray who lives in our backyard that we try to take care of. We named the stray cat "Jorge Poppageorgio", and we feed him every morning and evening. David even built an awesome kitty house for him on our back deck - 2 walls are windows and there are 2 entrances and we put a kitty bed and some blankets and pillows in there for him. He slept there all winter, when it was really cold out. He's really cute, but too scared of humans for us to get close to.
David and I went to the drive-in movies Friday night. It's about a 45-minute drive to Sussex. We saw "Shrek 3" and "Transformers". I loved Shrek (of course!), and David really liked "Transformers". It was a fun time. I own Shrek 1 and Shrek 2, so I know I'll be buying the third DVD when it comes out.
The necrosis on the left side of my stomach is healing, but it still hurts. I have a big yucky scab that looks like it is going to fall off soon. Yuck! And for some reason, my right thigh really hurts and burns. I have not done an injection here for almost 2 weeks. I am really running out of injection sites - can't do either sides of my stomach, or my right thigh, or my left hip. These have been my favourite (and least painful) injection sites. Oh well, I guess I'll have to find some new favourite sites.
I'm still working on convincing Dave to get us a dog - last week there were 2 Beagles and 1 Corgi at the Animal Rescue League - they've all been adopted (thank goodness). Right now, there is 1 Beagle (and her pic is beautiful!) but she suffers from anxiety and needs somebody with her all day. That would not work for us right now. I'll get my dog some day!
August 3, 2007
My oldest cat is Theodore. I got Theodore when I lived in Calgary, Alberta 12 years ago; he flew across Canada with me - carry-on and crying! He will be 13 years old on Halloween. Theodore is the "King of the House" and he knows he is the King. Lately, he's been drinking an excessive amount of water, and peeing all the time (in places he should not be!). We took him to the vet last night. She examined him, took a urine sample and tested it, and then a blood test. My little guy has diabetes! I can't believe it! I had to leave the vet's office for a few minutes and cry in the parking lot. David helped the vet as she put 2 bags of fluid into him, via a needle under his skin. Poor guy. But he was pretty calm and did well.
We bought a special diabetes kitty food him, brought him home, and spoiled him with love (as usual). He has to go back for blood work again next week. I just hope everything is going to be OK. The vet explained that he may need frequent insulin injections - 1 or 2 daily. I don't think I'd be able to give a needle to my kitty! I do my 3 Rebif needles a week (without any major problems), but I don't know about giving them to my cat. David said he'd be able to do it, no problem.
So now we just have to keep track of how he is doing. The cats seem to really like their new diabetic kitty food. Theodore has to go back to the vet next week for blood work. I hope my little guy makes out OK!
August 9, 2007
This is such a busy and crazy day for me!
· Walk to the bus stop (about a 10-minute walk)
· Take the bus to work
· Work my usual 6 ½ hours
· Rush to catch the bus home
· Stop by drug store to pick up Rebif
· Walk home (about a 15-minute walk)
· Get Theodore (my kitty who was diagnosed with diabetes last week) to the vet (more blood work & urine tests)
· Come back home from vet and try to calm Theodore down
· Do laundry (probably 2 loads)
· Grocery shopping
· Pack clothing & food for our camping trip (leaving tomorrow morning for 3 days)
· Help David pack up camping gear
· Watch "Big Brother 8" (cannot miss our favourite show)
· Do my Rebif injection
· Finish packing for camping trip & organize things around the home
Plus other things that I am forgetting about. This is a very busy day for me, but I am really excited for camping this weekend. David and I used to tent quite often, but we have not used our tent in about 6 years (since Mom and Dad bought their trailer). Hopefully the weather is good! I know we'll have a good time.
Wow. I cannot believe it has been 3 months since my last entry. How time flies (sometimes).
Theodore (my oldest cat who was diagnosed with diabetes in August) is doing pretty good. He gets an insulin shot every morning with his breakfast and another insulin shot with his supper. He does not seem to mind the injections at all! It's almost as if he knows they make him feel better. My husband had to do the injections for the first month, as I was too scared of hurting my little kitty. But now, it's no problem. The hardest part is just making sure one of us is home to do his injection. But pricking his little ear for a blood sample to test his glucose is another story!!!!!!!!!!!
Things have been OK, not too complaints from me. But I find that there is always one thing wrong - bladder problems, or bowel problems, fatigue, cognitive issues, a cold. When one thing gets better, another problem seems to pop up. I would just love to have one month (heck, even a week) where I feel "normal" again. Maybe some day.
I have a new niece! Her name is Madeline Elisabeth. Maddy was born on October 30 and she is so beautiful! Benjamin (my nephew) is continuing to do great too. Mom and Dad are having a blast with being grandparents; they're awesome!
I've decided to try out for Nationals (darts) again this year. I haven't been practicing very much, but I went to our district shoot a few weeks ago. The top 8 gals make Provincials, and there were only 2 of us. I won the best out of 10 games. We're both going to Provincials in 2 weeks. The top 8 ladies at that tournament go to Nationals, which are being held in Winnipeg next May. I hope I can make the team.
Hope everybody is doing OK. I'm really going to try and write more often in my diary - every 3 months is definitely not enough!
"One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
· Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
· Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
· Live simply and appreciate what you have.
· Give more.
· Expect less
NOW ............ Enough of that crap . . .The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON: When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you."
Back To Home Page
