MRI results

I got my results back already and thought I'd share them here.

Findings: There is some elongation and inferior displacement of the cerebellar tonsils which extend approximately 3-4 mm below the level of the foramen magnum. (very helpful, right? that means that I have a Chiari malformation, which we already knew.) There is no syrinx seen in the upper cord, but is not well evaluated. (that means there is no cyst in my spinal cord, which was a possibility, but they could not tell for sure.) There is no hydrocephalus. The brain is otherwise normal in appearance. (that's good news!) There are no white matter lesions. (I'm not sure, but that might mean no brain tumors or evidence of a stroke.) There is no evidence of mass, hemorrhage, or infarction. (OK, I got the mass - that's a tumor, I got the hemorrhage - that's a stroke, but I have no idea what an infarction is. But if anyone calls me infarcted, I can deny it emphatically. And I have proof!)

This is my favorite paragraph right here: There is some musocal thickening in the left side of the sphenoid sinus and some mild mucosal thickening and ethmoid air cells.

Holy cow! Is that fatal? Is it contagious? Should I panic? No. In plain English, I have 'mild sinusitis.' In even plainer words, I'm stuffy. I could use a decongestant.

So it was mostly good news. I do still have a chiari, no surprise there. But it could have been worse. Nothing new to report.

I asked Randy for a blessing for something else and I was told definitely to proceed with treatment for my brain, so I feel good about planning on the surgery. Again, no date, but I have an appointment with Dr. Reichman for September. I'm a lot less worried about it, seeing how well Carrie has done. Of course, my case might be different, but she is doing really well, considering that she's just a couple of weeks out of brain surgery! I sure wouldn't wish this condition on anyone, especially Carrie, busy as she is with two sweet little girls at home, and as nice as she is herself. I guess I'm just grateful that if we both did have this condition, we both found out about it around the same time and live in the same neighborhood. I think the Lord was looking out for us both.

I am not doing that again!

Finally back in to report, and thanks for all the prayers and happy thoughts! It must have worked, because I didn't freak out! Still waiting on the results, of course, but at least it's over. And they didn't have any music either. :o(

The whole thing was quicker than they told me it would be, but of course it seemed to last FOREVER! And I'm a little worried about that.

When I first got there, they asked if I was claustrophobic. A little, I said (liar!). So did I take anything, they asked? Nope. (I didn't have anyone to drive me home) I was hoping they had music to listen to. But not at this hospital! So I just sat and waited, but not for long. So they got me in and then the tech (I think they told her I was a little anxious - ha!) told me that she would do the regular films, then the contrast, and the whole thing would take about 45 minutes. I didn't have to put on the lovely gown, so that was good. Then I just got to lie down on the bench and slide into the tube. NOT FUN!

She did offer earplugs, but it was still noisy. And I swear there's a law somewhere that anytime you have to stay still or can't use your hands, you *immediately* develop a mysterious itch somewhere you can't touch. That wasn't too bad, it was kind of funny, it was so predictable. Except that the itch reminded me that even if I was allowed to move, I couldn't because my arms were pinned to my sides and I WAS STUCK IN A TUBE!

Honestly the only thing that kept me sane (besides the good vibes available here!) was putting a personal playlist of hymns inside my brain while I was lying there. I went through some gospel/bluegrass songs, and my high school's version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, and was ready to start on the Hallelujah chorus, when Hallelujah! She told me I was done.

Now my main concern (except for the results, of course) is that I'll have to go back and do the contrast films later. If I do, I am TOTALLY taking some Valium first. My husband can take off the time from work and drive me home. I absolutely cannot do that again without some drugs.

So thanks for all the help. I came home just wiped out still and stayed unhappy for hours. I am SOOOO glad it's over!

MRI tomorrow - need happy thoughts!

Just a little note to request some prayers/happy thoughts for tomorrow. I'm going in for my MRI before my surgery. (Way before too, so that's a bummer. I'll have plenty of time to worry about the results before I see the surgeon) I'm trying not to be a scaredy cat, but I really don't enjoy these tests. I tried to remember that if I can handle acupuncture, I can totally make it through an MRI - after all, it doesn't actually hurt. But I'm still nervous and apprehensive. So prayers that I will be just fine would be much appreciated!

Stuff I Like

Here's my current list of stuff that's making me happy.

1. Puffs Tissues With Lotion - this is the softest tissue out there, and trust me, I know. My allergies are driving me a little nuts right now, so we're going through the boxes. My nose is already slightly red most of the time, and I can't even imagine what it would look like without these tissues. I buy them 3 boxes at a time, and have a box in every room in the house.

2. My Crock-pot. I can go for weeks without using it, but lately, it's been a regular help with dinner. I made Mexican Beef on Sunday, Tangy Citrus Chicken tonight, and I'm sure I'll use it again next week. Such a help.

3. P. G. Wodehouse. If you've ever seen the Jeeves and Wooster series on PBS, you've seen some of his best stuff. I've been listening to one of his books on tape, and it's really funny. Just what I need, as things are a little stressful at home.

4. Which brings me to my last item, books on tape. I love being able to listen to a story instead of the radio, which is mostly just commercials anyway. It's so nice to have something funny or exciting to get your mind off of being stuck in traffic or in a rush to run errands. I usually get mine from the library, but I own a few. These are also great for road trips. I love mysteries, and the Dick Francis books or the Ellis Peters series (either one) are both available at the library. Some of my favorites. I also love the Artemis Fowl books - super good, with all the accents right on. It's almost enough to make me enjoy being the family chauffeur. Almost.

Book Review: The Zookeeper's Wife

I was really impressed by this book. It's the story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski who hid Jews in their villa on the zoo grounds in Warsaw, Poland. Some heart-wrenching stories in there. What made it even more amazing is that it is a true story. Most of the book is taken from the diary that Antonina kept during the war, so we get a close look at how she felt. The descriptions of how fear affects you were really well done. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that I didn't really find out what happened to Jan and Antonina after the war or how the diary came to be found. Thanks for recommending it to me, Kari!

New books!

I went a little crazy with the new books today. Maybe it's in the air! But here's what I got:

A new Bible for Will, complete with his name on it. Ask him to show you at church Sunday. I meant to get it for his birthday, but ran out of time, so (a few months later) here it is now.

The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones. Looks like a good teen fantasy about a girl who was a changeling. I haven't heard anything about the book or the author, but I've picked it up several times at the bookstore and decided that I was really going to get it this time.

Ever by Gail Carson Levine. I love her books, but I hadn't even heard she had a new one out. So when I saw it on the shelf, I just grabbed it. She's the author of Ella Enchanted, my all time favorite retelling of Cinderella, and Two Princesses of Bamarre, another one of my favorites. I'm looking forward to reading this one, but I may save it for after my surgery when I want something really good to make me feel better.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan, book 4 in the Percy Jackson series. I really like the series, but I still have to read number 3, so I'm saving this one for a little while.

And then I got a book in the mail too! A fellow BookCrosser sent me The Fingerprint by Patricia Wentworth, an old-fashioned English mystery that's out of print. That's the one I'm reading now. Oh, and this morning I started The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo, writer of the Charlie Bone series. I'm not enjoying that one as much I thought I would, but I'm not sure why. Only about 1/3 of the way in, so I may change my mind.

Anyway, it was a good day for reading at my house. Maybe this will keep me busy for a week or two.

No, probably not.

Cute kid talk

I just had to share this little story. We went to my parents house for Mother's Day, along with my sister and her son. We had a great dinner and some apple pie, which Will helped make. Then we enjoyed their back yard for a while and played with their dog, Bandit. Afterwards we came inside to visit. My 3 year old nephew wandered around, checking out the action. Then he walked over to Bandit and said, "So Bandit, you're a dog, huh?"

I still think it is one of the funniest ever things a kid has said. It just totally cracked me up! I'm not sure if he was expecting a reply, but Bandit was keeping quiet.

The guilty flee when none pursueth

There's nothing like a guilty conscience to make you a careful driver. My tags expired last month and I'm still driving around. With all the stuff going on last month, I put off getting my car inspected until the last minute, only to find that it didn't pass. My 'check engine soon' light came on. We got Vineyard Auto to fix it, but it came back on, so we didn't get the tags by the end of the month. Then I had to wait so long, before he could test it again. So I had to drive it with expired tags. And I'm still driving! I keep meaning to get my car in, but I need my car! So this week I have got to get it done. If you see my car and the tags are still not reading 2009, remind me, OK? I'd much rather hear it from a friend than a police officer!

Smile - It makes people wonder what you're up to

A couple of topics on my mind today. First, we had a strange encounter at the dollar store today. I loaded up the kids to buy them various goodies to amuse themselves (yes, I realize they are a little old, but there you are) and we wandered aimlessly around for about an hour. I was in the sort of mood where I just said yes to everything.

Then we got to the back of the store where we came across another customer. This man was just standing there shopping, then he turned around and grinned and Sarah and me. Was he flirting? It's been so long, I couldn't tell! And who was he smiling at, her or me? I didn't know whether to tell him, "knock it off, you pervert!" or "sorry, but I'm married." So I just sort of nodded at him and moved on.

But as we got to the check out counter, who should be behind us but Mr. Smiley! And he was grinning the whole time. Not just a smile, but a big grin with teeth showing and everything. It was very odd.

As we got out to the car, I told the kids about this guy and we all tried to come up with reasons for his excessive happiness. He'd been to the dentist and wanted to show off his newly clean teeth. He was a crazy stalker. He really was flirting. It was a social experiment, designed to see how long it would take someone to punch him in his teeth. (not too long, IMO) Randy suggested it was the Botox.

But it got me thinking about smiles, and the reasons we smile. We smile to say hello, to say thank you, I love you, I'm sorry. We smile when we're happy, surprised, even uncomfortable. We smile to acknowledge someone else's smile. We smile when something is funny or silly or touching. Sometimes we smile because we just can't help it. I smiled my whole wedding day. I know I did, because I saw the home video afterwards, even if I didn't realize I was smiling at the time.

And smiles come in different shapes too. There's the smile that doesn't even involve the lips, just a mere hint of humor about the eyes. Then we can curl the lips, the closed mouth smile. And sometimes we show it all - teeth, gums, everything. I am especially fond of the big smile of an infant with no teeth at all!

But we don't often walk around with a smile for no reason at all. Which makes this guy's behavior even more disturbing. And what really bugs me is that I'll never know what the story was! Weird.

Happy Mother's Day

Just wanted to wish you all happy Mother's Day. This is the first time in 20 years that I got to spend the day with my mom, so it was pretty special. Hope yours was good too.

Recipe: Boiled Potatoes

Boiled Potatoes

Yes, this is really a recipe for boiled potatoes. My family all laughed at me, but I said not everyone knows how to boil potatoes. So here it goes.

Start with at least one potato per person. If you want to have extra for leftovers, make it at least two per person, and if Ellen is eating with you, even that is no guarantee you'll have any left.

Peel potatoes (get the kids to help) and cut into about 1 inch cubes. Put in a pan and cover with enough water to cover, add a little salt, and turn on high. Cook until boiling. Then turn it down and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes. Test for doneness by poking with a fork. Your potato should be firm, not mushy, not hard. You can always taste it to check.

Your potatoes are done! Drain the potatoes (save the liquid - I'll tell you why next time) and serve.

If you can boil potatoes, you can also make potato salad and mashed potatoes from scratch.

Potato Salad

I don't like the German kind, with vinegar. I like the kind with mayonnaise. (Actually, I use Miracle Whip, but use what you like.) So if you're making potato salad, you should probably cut them into smaller chunks. They will not need to cook as long. When your potatoes are done (make SURE they don't get mushy), drain them and rinse them in cold water. You can even boil them in a wire basket until done and then remove the basket and immediately plunge it into ice water. That will speed up the whole thing.

Once your potatoes are rinsed and cooled, add mayonnaise, a little mustard (if you like it - 1 or 2 Tb. is plenty), diced pimientos, chopped boiled eggs, chopped pickles, and a little dill. You can also add sliced olives, bacon bits, whatever. Serve like this or sprinkle a little paprika on top. Refrigerate as soon as you're done.

Mashed Potatoes

For this, you need to boil at least two potatoes per person. People always eat more mashed potatoes than boiled potatoes. Prepare the same way as boiled potatoes. Then drain, but don't bother to rinse. Add some butter (2-3 Tb. to start with) to the pan you cooked the potatoes in, then return potatoes. Mash them up as much as you like (Mine are always lumpy, but we like them like that. If you don't, then use a hand mixer). Add some milk to get the consistency you like. Evaporated milk is really good, even half and half, if you don't mind the fat. But regular or soy milk is fine. Just don't use vanilla soy milk. Then put them in the bowl to serve. You can top with grated cheese or gravy if you like, but we just want more butter, salt, and pepper.


Okay, so that may be the most basic recipe I ever post, but I still think someone might find it helpful. When I started out as a cook, I had to figure all this out for myself. Now you can see how easy it is to make real potatoes from scratch, no box or instant potato flakes needed. Potatoes from scratch are cheaper to make, more nutritious, and taste better. Enjoy!

Our new wheat and grain mill

So we decided to spend some of our stimulus check on food storage this month. After looking around a little, I got a new hand grain mill and a food dehydrator at Emergency Essentials. Here are a few things I have already learned.

• This thing is HEAVY! It's mostly made out of solid steel, so despite the small box, it's a pain to pick up.
• You need a friend! I'm good for a quarter cup or so, but after that, I was honestly sweating!
• Fortunately for me, Will thinks it's fun to help, so that takes care of the friend part.
• It works best to add small amounts to the mill at a time. Too much and it won't work. Start with a little and keep adding more as you go.
• It takes forever! Don't think you can just get this done in 10 minutes.

One of my favorite books series as a girl was Little House on the Prairie, and my favorite book was The Long Winter. Just reading that one now and I can imagine the wind howling through the prairie and the snow covering the cows. I remember when they had to grind their wheat with a coffee mill to have something to eat. Now I have an idea of how hard that must have been.

We've tried a couple of things with our new freshly ground whole wheat flour. One was a flat loaf of bread Randy made last night - really good, but no recipe because he just made it up as he went; and the other is peanut butter cookies. I substituted about 1/2 to 2/3 a cup of wheat flour for the white. Super yummy - you can hardly tell.

I'll post more ideas we've tried for saving money on groceries as I can.

Site Review: Game Giveaway of the Day

OK, so you all probably know that I spend too much time on the computer. Here's one way to get fun new games without worrying about the cost. Game Giveaway of the Day offers free computer games every Saturday and Sunday. All you have to do is download them. They are completely free.
These are not brand new games. They've been out a while. But they can still be fun. You just never know if they will be any good until you try them. But if you don't like them, you can just delete them from your hard drive. They also have other software available for free.

Here's the link http://game.giveawayoftheday.com/

So far, I've tried Jane's Hotel ( a lot like Diner Dash, not quite as much fun), SuperCubes (didn't like it), and Egyptoid 2, a break out game that I really liked. Check it out this weekend and see what thye have.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! We love this holiday at our house, not because we are Mexican, but because it gives me a reason to eat Mexican food! Any excuse for a party, that's my philosophy. Especially if it involves music and food. I'm planning to make chicken enchiladas (yes, from scratch this time) and Tres Leches cake. (Don't be too impressed - it's from a cake mix!) Viva Mexico!

Book Review: Midnight Pearls

I am a big fan of the retold fairy tale, so I was happy to find this series of familiar tales and fables rewritten for teens. I just finished this one yesterday, and I enjoyed it. Finneas is out fishing one night when a terrible storm blows up. Just when he is ready to give up and surrender to the sea, he spots a child floating in the ocean. He rescues the girl and together with his wife, they raise the girl as their own. They name her Pearl. It's a promising beginning, and I did enjoy the book. It's not really anything unique, pretty much a classic tale. All the regulars from the original story are there - the handsome prince, the Sea Witch - but there are a few twists. I read it in a day, a quick fun story.

If you like this genre, I can recommend some titles from the 'Once Upon a Time' series. Overall, the writing is uneven. Some of the stories are really well done. My favorites are The Storyteller's Daughter (1001 Nights), Sunshine and Shadow (The Magic Flute), and Golden (Rapunzel). Before Midnight, based on Cinderella, is my very favorite. But there are a few I just couldn't read, one based on Little Red Riding Hood that has her falling in love with the wolf, and some one I can't remember set in France during World War I. I got this one at the library.