Sunday, May 27, 2012

It's cooling down a little this week…

 Monday was a good day in that we got everything done and Robby and I both got  a bath. I didn't get to get up, not how I like to start my Monday but I do plan on getting up the rest of this week. I just ended up resting. For breakfast I had a poached egg, a lamb patty and avocado. For dinner I had mahi tuna, quinoa and spinach. I remember hearing Karen this morning making a smoothie but I never saw that.

Tuesday the weather was beautiful. I got up and took Robby for a cruise through the lagoon and then came back because I friend was coming by to visit. I met her through my aunt's best friend, she is her cousin and we play words with friends a lot… she kicks my butt majorly at every game but I just love the play. We sat outside on the back porch and visited for a while, I just love being out in my yard because it is just gorgeous. I had my evening caregiver uncover all the furniture, we covered during the rainy season, and wipe everything down. Soon it will be barbecue season and we will be using it a lot, I can hardly wait. I had an appointment at Dominican rehab, about a half an hour away in my chair. My appointment was with a lifestyle manager to see if there's anything I can do to improve my health and possibly quit taking so many supplements. I have a really bad gas and bloating problem that is ongoing and I'm hoping she can help me with that. Of course the 1st thing they always do is eliminate stuff from my diet. For a week in the mornings I can have oatmeal, nuts and fruit… no coffee. Everything else I need to eliminate is pretty much vegetables, beans that give you gas. She thinks that possibly I have way too much yeast in my body and that's what's causing all my problems, I kind of hope it is. They put you on a special diet and then it's a breath test and if you have too much yeast than they give you medication, apparently you can store yeast in your body and not be able to get rid of it. I will try anything but I think that my body is just slowing down because of the spinal cord injury. While I was resting in the lobby one of the ladies that works there came up and said how sorry she was that Robby was attacked, she saw the article in the paper. I talked to her for a while, everybody that works there so nice.  I came home and Teresa put me to bed. She change the bandages on my legs and when she saw the pressure sores she was furious, she has not seen them since last Thursday and apparently they are twice as bad. It just seems like one bad idea can set everything way back and we really need to take pictures and send them to her when it looks even a little bit worse, she is the one going to school  to be a nurse. I really need to be a better advocate for myself. I'm definitely going to work on that. I'm always afraid that I will hurt somebody's feelings but I really need to look out for myself. This morning for breakfast I had a poached egg, lamb patty and avocado along with my coffee. I had a banana/mango smoothie for lunch and for dinner I had kale with wheat berries… my new favorite, mustard chicken… my all-time favorite and spinach… another favorite. The only thing that she took off of my diet that I really going to miss  is eggplant but thank goodness it is only for a week. No more coffee is really going to be hard but I can do it.

You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it!

Wednesday was another great day, the weather just keeps getting better.  Before I left I called Melanie from mosquito abatement and asked if she could bring some more mosquito fish for my pond. I met Melanie when I was cruising through the lagoon and we started talking and she said that she would be glad to keep my pond stocked with mosquito eating fish, I think the raccoons get in there any most or all of them but she is always happy to bring me more, she is such a nice lady.  Before I even got to the lagoon Karen texted me and said that Melonie was there with my mosquito eating fish, how quick is that? Robby and I cruised through the lagoon a couple of times and I noticed a sign that said the goats will be here on Friday, I love the goats. The very 1st time I cruised through the lagoon when they have the goats There eating the vegetation around the boardwalk the 1st thing that hit me was the familiar smell, it was familiar although I couldn't think of what it was until I rounded the corner and saw them all there. I used to have goats and I think that's where the memory of the smell came in. They would follow me around just like little puppies, even when I wrote my horses. We cruised to the end of the wharf and back and then through the boardwalk. This is the 2nd time this season that I have been asked if I got a tag for Robby, you're supposed to get a take for your dog before you can take him on the boardwalk and you have to show them this certificate. I used to get them all the time and then the last couple of times I was told that if the service dog had the service vest on I didn't need to get a tag so I quit doing it. I told the security officer that I would be glad to go and get a tag for my service dog and then I was really glad that he asked, he didn't see the best and told me that it was not necessary to go and get a tag. I was so excited and I wish more people would start questioning people about their dogs. On my way back home I got a call from James at CCI, it's time to recertify Robby again. He said that he would be in Santa Clara at the Valley fair Mall and when I meet him there June 7, Teresa said that she would take me. I'm pretty confident that Robby is going to do great. The only problem that he sometimes has is he forgets to ignore people, especially when they sneak up behind him and start petting him. Other than that we practice our commands and we try our best. Teresa waxed Karen and I and then I got a nice long hot bath and went to bed. It was a great day. I had oatmeal for breakfast with cinnamon and nuts, a smoothie for lunch and some tilapia, chart and wheat berries and asparagus for dinner. I am really starting to love wheat berries.



Thursday was another great day although it was a little bit colder. Robby and I went for a nice long cruise through the lagoon where they had already let the goats go, most of them were babies and so adorable. They let them run loose in sections of the boardwalk by the lagoon to eat the weeds, they usually have them there once or twice a year and they do a great job AND they fertilize at the same time… how cool is that? Then we cruised down to the end of the wharf and back, through the boardwalk and back and back down to the end of the wharf and back again. I came home as Gabe was driving in with my van so I visited with him and his wife for a while, Gabe is just the sweetest guy ever. They called on Wednesday evening and said that my Van is finally ready to be picked up. Gabe agreed to go over with my uncle to pick it up so he could check on the progress. He asked them if they had checked to see why the battery was overcharging and they said they didn't even know that problem existed. That is why we took it over there and I asked the guy  in 3 different telephone conversations if they checked and they said they did, my mom said that my uncle also asked them to check. They told me that they had to replace the hoses because radiator fluid was leaking into the engine but they told Gabe that was heater hoses that they replaced, I just am thankful that Gabe went over and talked to them or else none of this would have been on the record. I was glad to have my van back  because I needed to get over to Dr. Hurray's office because one of the sores on my leg is getting worse. I had scheduled an accessible yellow cab to come and pick me up and I was really not thrilled about that, I was so glad when I got to call and cancel. It would have been a nice experience because then maybe I could do it more often and not be so nervous, same with the Metro bus but it's a shame when I have a van. I always love going to see Dr. Hurray and his staff, I have never met a group of nicer people.  Hurray not only usually works in his office until 5:30 PM, we were there after 6, but then he goes over to the hospital and sees patients there. After that we went by Charlie Hong Kong's to get something for dinner and then came home and ate and put me to bed, I am exhausted and I hope I sleep. I had oatmeal with bananas and nuts for breakfast, a smoothie for lunch and pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu for dinner.
  Don't challenge the cheetah!

Friday was a regular Friday, it's really hard to stay in bed when it's getting nice outside but today was kind of cold so that makes it better. I got my massage  by my personal care took so long that I didn't get my nice long hot bath, I will get that in the morning before I get up. Teresa came over to show Janea how to be very cautious when putting my evening he'll lift boots on again. The gauze  got bunched up again and I have to more blisters on the top of my ankle, when will it ever end? My uncle and aunt, Lee and Claudia and my mom and I played cribbage and my aunt was my partner… we won $2.  My nephew graduated today, I can't believe it. He is so handsome and funny and I just love having him around. For breakfast I had oatmeal with blueberries and nuts, for lunch I had salami and cheese and for dinner I had a salad with couscous, spinach, artichoke hearts and asparagus  that Teresa made and short ribs and chard that Heather made. I am so fortunate to have these 2 people cooking for me. Teresa makes a salad for her, her boyfriend and my mom and I. When you make salads usually have to make a lot and sometimes some of it is bad, I love her salads.
Saturday was a little bit of a disappointment, if I had known it was going to be cold and overcast outside I would've just stayed in bed. I did get a nice long hot bath and got up to go for a cruise with Robby. We cruised to the lagoon, I wanted to sit and watch the goats for a little while but there was a guy there… obviously the owner of the goats… so I didn't want to stare or make him wonder if the goats were uncomfortable because of Robby. It was so cold and then driving the chair the breeze was just getting to me and I ended up coming back home. I got this silk hood thing that buttons around your neck so I thought I would try it out but the hood was way too big so I need to find a way to fasten it tighter. I came home and changed hats and tried it again but it's just too cold, my arms start to get sore and I can feel the muscles tighten up. We practiced some commands, Robby is such a smart boy. For breakfast I had oatmeal with blueberries, bananas, walnuts and almonds, for lunch I had salami and marinated mozzarella cheese and for dinner I had pork ribs, chard, kale and mushrooms.
 I want this in my garden…

Sunday was such a great day. Alice and Abe invited my uncle, my aunt and I to watch Alice's polo match, we missed Abe's the 2 days before.   I have never been to a polo match but it was awesome, I had so much fun watching everyone and learning about polo. I thought it was going to be really hot so I dressed in layers and for most of the day it was hot and then cold. Towards the end of the day the sun came out and it was just gorgeous. We stopped by Togo's on the way and I got a tuna and avocado wrap on a spinach tortilla. Right next to Togo's was this really awesome garden/patio store, it was closed but I'm definitely going back.



1 comment:

betty said...

Congrats to your nephew on his graduation Tammie!! I never heard of a lamb patty; it sounds delicious though!! Word With Friends is a great game, isn't it? I'm with you; I always seem to be on the losing end of it, but it is a fun game to play!

I hope you have a good Memorial Day!

betty