March 19, 2014: Vein Zapping tomorrow

Last summer I returned home from Hawaii with a case of phlebitis in my right leg.  The damned airplane seat was so squashed that there was scarcely any leg room.  I got up and walked around often, did leg exercises to no avail.  I lost a week at work and spent many boring days with my legs up.

So, tomorrow I'm getting the saphonous vein in my right leg zapped.  Dr Charles West will use a laser unless he finds that he needs to do surgery.  I had vein stripping the old fashioned way back in 1988 but my doc says that they missed this big old vein somehow.  I know there is more air travel in my future since Kevin lives in Tokyo.  The zapping will help prevent a recurrence.

I hope I'm through with needing to have anesthesia for a few years.  I had an endoscopy at the end of January.  It weakened me and I ended up sick with a cold/asthma.

This time around I will make myself take it easier.  I don't want to get sick again.  The problem is I hate sitting around recuperating.  The weather is very pleasant now and there are just so many things I want to do!

Yesterday I walked to the student center for lunch.  I admired all the azaleas along the way.

March 14, 2014: Mom Update

My mother was supposed to have surgery to repair her broken leg on March 12, 2014.  I met her and one of Bedford's aides, Mark at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital at 5:30 AM.

We were put into a pre-op room around 6 AM by one of their CNA's.  He told Mom to get undressed and get on the hospital bed.  I told him that we would need help lifting Mom onto the bed because she couldn't put weight on her foot.  Then he disappeared.

An RN came in later.  She spoke a kind of baby talk to Mom, like people do to little kids.  I told her we needed help getting Mom into the bed.  She took some vitals and brought that first male CNA back into the room to help.  He and Mark got Mom into the bed.  The nurse took off Mom's top and put her into a hospital gown.  Mark left and said he had to go to work.


Another nurse came to put in an IV.  I told him that Mom would be difficult to stick, especially since she had not drunk anything in 12 hours.  He tried and ended up getting a bunch of blood but couldn't get the IV in.  They used the blood for her blood tests.

The surgeon, Dr Harvin came in and spoke to Mom.  Then in came the anesthesiologist.  His assistant tried to put an IV into Mom, too.

Dr Harvin came back in later and said that he couldn't operate because Mom's thyroid levels were too low.  The anesthesiologist said it would be dangerous to give her anesthesia for a long time with these low levels.

My cell phone couldn't get a signal so I had to use one of the hospital phones to call Bedford's managers.  I got to Linda in time and she sent Mark back in.  His taxi had not come yet.

Dr Harvin returned and said he would cast Mom in the hospital, in an operating room.  They were going to give her some gas so they could get the IV into her.

When she went into the operating room I left for work - around 8:30 AM.  The doctor called and said she did fine.  He was able to rotate her leg a bit to get the bone back into a better alignment.  She is supposed to go see him again in 2 weeks.  Mark took her back to Bedford in a wheelchair taxi.

I went over to check on Mom around 4 PM.  The cast is huge.  It goes over her knee.

Her sole has dead skin on it (see the black in the photo).  It's covered by the cast so it will just get worse. 

The doctor may decide to try surgery again after he checks how her bone is healing.

This has been a major ordeal for all of us.  Mom has to stay in a reclining wheelchair during the day.  Bedford is trying to get Medicare to approve an air bed for her to help prevent bedsores.

I have the burden of trying to determine what is best for her since I hold her medical power of attorney.

March 11, 2014: My poodle phones are on CraftGossip.com today!

I was very happy to see that my pink and blue poodle phones were on CraftGossip.com today.
As their mommy I think they are just as cute as can be.  I'm glad CraftGossip thinks so, too.

Here is the link:  http://craftgossip.com/?s=poodle+phone

February 28, 2014: Mom update

Mom looked pretty good today.

I went to check on Mama today at the Bedford home.  A physical therapist was working with her.  She was being fairly cooperative with him.  Her left leg is getting scratched from the splint on her right leg.  I got Linda, the manager, to wrap it up with an ace bandage.

Next Tuesday she is going to the doctor and probably getting a cast put on.  At least they chose a doctor in Houston this time, instead of Richmond.  If I can get the time off, I'll meet her at the doctor's office.  She has to go in an ambulance or a special taxi to transport her and her special wheelchair.

My cousin Rick Pauza and his friend Roseanne Palacios are coming in tomorrow to visit Mama.  She is looking forward to their visit.  So, am I.  I was away last time they came into Houston.

Mom in her special wheelchair with the physical therapist.

2014/02/26: My Poodle Telephones!

This past weekend I finally got around to doing some crafting/sewing. 

I found 2 old-timey phones in the trash in my building.  Of course, I immediately thought of poodles!  These phones both are in working condition.

I had a couple of the fuzzy tubular scarves that I purchased at Goodwill.  These tubular scarves make crafting easy.  I removed the handset and cords from phone #1 and painted around the number buttons with white acrylic paint.  Opening up the pink tubular scarf, I inserted the first phone.  I folded under one end of the scarf, leaving about 6-8 inches of excess fur at the back of the phone.  I cut off the excess at the other end.  Then I glued and folded the scarf around the phone, cutting small holes for the number buttons and the cord openings.  I carefully glued around these openings.

I then took the handset and inserted it into the remaining portion of the scarf.  I took the excess on one end and pulled it into a rubber band, forming one ear.  On the other side I made a loose covering for the spiral cord.  I folded up and hand sewed the cord cover so it wouldn't be so bulky.  When I tuck back the cord it looks like another ear.

I inserted a piece of balsa wood into the bottom fur cover and glued it to the underside of the phone.  I glued a clothespin with its base to the wood and glued a large pink puff ball to the top of the clothes pin. Then I pulled the excess fabric over these pieces, taking a rubber band to tie the end of the clothespin to form the pouf of the tail and securing with a few stitches.

I added some doll eyes and lashes that I already had in my stash, used a button for the nose, glued in a felt tongue and tied a bow on an ear.
 I attached the handset to the phone base and plugged in the phone cord.

Now I just need to figure out how to make the phone bark instead of ring!

I decided my pink poodle phone needed a mate.  So I covered the phone #2 with a blue tubular scarf.  I took some photos as I worked on it.  This phone was a dark brown so I doubled the scarf over the phone to cover the dark color. 

The handset and cord were permanently inserted into this phone so I had to work around them.  I left the brown spiral cord uncovered and made both ears the same way by cutting off a piece of scarf. pulling the excess fur and gluing the fur onto the handset, folding it as necessary. 

I wrapped both end of the fur with rubber bands to form the ears. 

I made the tail from the excess fur on the back side of the phone - securing it with a rubber band and some stitches.

I cut out white felt ovals for the eyes (no more eyeballs in my stash) and sewed on black buttons with white thread for the pupils.  The nose is a button.  The tongue is red felt.

Aren't they just the perfect couple!

February 18, 2014

I'm feeling very happy today!  I just returned from the Student Center.  There are patios around the center with tables.  I ate my healthy lunch there today.  It's a beautiful day so I walked to the center and ate outside.

Working at Rice University has been the one stable constant in my life during these past few turbulent years.  It is a great comfort to be somewhere familiar with people I have known for years.  I am so grateful that I have this job!

February 12, 2014: D Day Anniversary!

What a difference a year makes!  I have been a free, single woman for one whole year today.  Life is good!

Tonight I celebrated by having dinner at Olive Garden with my good friend, Bert.

My house has become a girly retreat- pink poodles, teapots and dolls abound!  I even have my own live pink poodle, Sweetsie.  I always wanted a cute female poodle.  Back in the 1950's there were all kinds of kitschy pink poodle ceramics, lamps, toys, etc.  Now my childhood dream has come true.

Sweetsie used to be white but with the help of a fruit punch koolaid rinse (no sugar added, of course), she is my little living toy.