What I Did During the Month of February - Some humor mixed with seriousness ...

You know that saying, "Life goes on"?  It's completely true.  I was missing in action nearly the entire month of February but I doubt that many noticed because everyone has their lives and jobs and families to manage whether I'm around or not.  It's okay my friends, I completely understand.

For several years I had been told I should get a hysterectomy but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I kept putting it off thinking that surely this cycle would be the last one and I could put this whole perimenopause issue to a close, but that hasn't been the case.  So, after bleeding for 5 straight weeks and heading into the 6th week, I made the commitment with my doctor and got it done.  This may or may not be the conversation/blog many want to read, but I've been feeling I need to share some of my experiences with this whole ordeal. Yes, I call it an ordeal because that's what it's been. 

I am a 51 year old woman who has birthed 6 children.  To say I have an emotional connection with my uterus that nurtured my babies is a slight of words.  It is the symbol of womanhood, motherhood, in my eyes. The word "woman" actually means "man with a womb".  It is a special feature granted us when we were conceived and one of those unique parts of a woman's body.

However, after years and years and years of dealing with a monthly cycle, having had all the children I wanted, and now having to navigate erratic cycles that no longer came on a schedule and could last for a month, I decided I could finally have it removed and not feel bad about it. So, I went to my doctor on Monday and we scheduled the procedure for the following Monday.  

I was not nervous that early Monday morning, I was rather excited.  I joked with the staff and gave them a hard time, as is my style, for an hour or so and then ... POOF! ... I don't remember anything until late in the evening.  I've always been susceptible to narcotics and, obviously, this time was no exception.  Honestly, I don't remember anything after the anesthesiologist came in to check the diameter of my windpipe (which I was told was very small).  

When I woke, it was dark and snowing.  I vaguely remember the doctor coming to see me, but I have no idea when that was and I had those squeezing thingys on my legs.  I was given two activities to complete before the doctor would let me go home; walk around the hospital wing and go pee.  I was told I tried 3 times to go pee but I only remember 1 and I vaguely remember walking around the hospital wing.  Drugs and me don't do well together, they last too long!

So, onto the recovery period.  Perhaps for a younger woman, the issues I discovered will not affect them as they did me.  I'm certain the time to recover for a younger woman would be much shorter than mine.  On top of being 51 years old, I had been bleeding for nearly 6 weeks prior to the procedure and was already exhausted and, basically, bled out, so I should've been a little more reasonable with myself about how long it would take to start feeling somewhat normal., but I've always expected to just jump right back into step within a few days.  Such was not the case this time.

The uterus is a small organ (unless it has a child in it, then it swells to 500 times its normal size) so I didn't think there would be so many changes in my lower abdomen but there were.  The first thing I noticed, after I was able to get rid of all the air the doctor had filled me up with, was that my bowels readjusted.  It was at times uncomfortable.  Not too painful, just uncomfortable.  Gas. Seriously?! How much gas do these readjusted bowels create now??  Certainly, it could've been that the new path they had chosen for themselves had opened up cinched sections and there were stored pockets of gas finally being released, but I can't be sure.  I just know that my gastrointestinal department is definitely different to what it used to be.  Another strange phenomenon to me is the lowering of my diaphragm.  I don't know exactly how much lower it is now, but I felt it move down and experienced sharp, short pains during the process.  I haven't felt any pains for a couple of weeks, so it must've found just the right place to hang out now.

The first week and a half, I simply laid around, watched T.V., and slept ... with my trusty heating pad, of course.  The pain in my lower abdomen came in the forms of squeezing, sharp, and constant.  I did use the pain pills the doctor prescribed for me but after the first week I just worked through the pain.  Did I mention that I slept?  Ha!  I don't remember ever sleeping that much but I suppose my body was in control of how much it could handle at one time and for the first 2 weeks, it wasn't much.  I hear walking is good for you but I have a very small house and the weather outside was far too frigid to attempt getting outside.  I swear I make a new path on the floors as I wandered around through each room walking like a zombie.  

by: MindlessIndulgence

Something NOT to do ladies ... stair steppers.  I had the brilliant idea that because I couldn't get outside to walk, I would use my stair stepper to get some energy, movement, and on the fast track to recovery. Huge, HuGe, HUGELY bad idea!!  The stair stepper causes your newly-sewn-shut-where-your-cervix-used-to-be area to wiggle back and forth which not only could rip out your stitches and start you to bleeding, it causes a tremendous amount of internal pain to one of the most sensitive areas on our bodies.  So, DON'T use a stair stepper for at least the first 2 weeks post-op, unless you're just into that kind of pain where you enjoy the feeling of a knife deep inside you.  No, not a good feeling at all and not recommended ladies.

At nearly 3 weeks post-op, I went back to the office.  Mind you, I sit at a chair most of the day plugging away on the typewriter, oh, excuse me, I mean keyboard (I told you I was 51!).  The first day consisted of about 3 1/2 hours total and I was down for the count.  I spent the rest of the day and evening moving very little and doing a lot of sleeping.  I have slowly managed to build up the time I can be in the office and, as I'm inside a building, I can do a little more walking than I can do when I'm at home and the weather is bad.  I have managed to do entire days at the office but pay for it dearly when I get home so, I am kind to myself and leave the office when I can to to lie down for a short time just to re-energize and, if there's any pain, relax those muscles so they can heal. 

Something I read from other women that had hysterectomies is that the uterus has muscles attached to it that help to shape a woman's figure.  I read that the woman's waistline is present because of the muscles attached thereto from the uterus and once the uterus is removed, you can expect to see a widening of the waist as the muscles are no longer there to assist in our hourglass figures.  Interesting, eh?  I've also read that there is a higher expectation to gain weight after a hysterectomy.  I haven't experienced that yet as I've already lost 8 pounds.  I will try to remember to keep track of these possible changes and report back if I notice them.  

All-in-all, I'm sure that when I fully recover this will have been the right decision for me.  I simply wish those women that told me, "it will be the best thing you ever did and you'll wish you'd done it sooner", would've also mentioned all the changes the female body goes through after said surgery. Yeah, ladies, that would've been some nice information.  But since they didn't tell me any of the things to expect, I thought I'd be kind enough to share some of what I went through and, on a much lighter level now, am still going through.  I will be 4 weeks post-op on Monday.

I hope this information has proven to be helpful and insightful for anyone that may chose to read it. And, by the way, I'm glad to be back among the living again.

Watching Your Children Grow

These beautiful human beings are my children.  Actually, these are three of my beautiful children:  #3, #5, and #6.  

I could tell you so many stories about them but I don't have the time and you probably don't have the time to read them either.  Plus, telling all their stories is not the subject of this blog.

The little cutie there on the left will be 18 years old this coming Friday and will graduate high school this May. Her accomplishments have astounded me, considering I nearly lost her before and after she was born.  Yes, she was a prematurely born baby and weighed in at 4 pounds, 4 ounces.  She struggled to breathe on her own for a few minutes before she gave out and had to be rushed to NICU where she was put on a respirator for 10 days.  

That beautiful young woman (I try very hard to remember she's a young woman now and not my baby girl) had a stubborn streak in her from the moment she was born and it has stuck with her all these years.  She's one of those people that inspires others with her tenacity, sparkle, humor, intelligence, and, of course, good looks. She's tiny in size but she's got the heart of a lion and I love everything about this "young woman" whom I get the privilege of calling my daughter.

She has a giving spirit about her and volunteers wherever and whenever she can to help those who need a little boost.  It takes a pretty tough (probably should say 'dangerous') challenge to make her back down from attempting to do something she hasn't done before and even if she's fails, she's happy to have had the opportunity to have tried.  

Oftentimes, I've seen her beat herself up for not getting something done "just so", but honestly, her "just so" is usually pretty amazing in itself.  It's so easy to allow the negative to overpower us as we trudge through our daily lives, and she's no different, but this little powerhouse has a fight in her (it's that stubborn streak I spoke of earlier) that will not allow her to stay on that path for long before she's turned the situation around and is running for the light.

To summarize, I love this young woman with all my heart but more than just love, I respect and admire her for all she has accomplished in her, nearly, 18 years on this earth.

So, Amber, just to be certain you understand ... You are amazing and wonderful and you make your Mom very, very proud.  I love you.

Entrepreneurs ~ How Do You Do What You Do?

Today is Tuesday and it snowed again last night.  I woke to about an inch of snow and was told by the boss I should stay in my Hugoton office as the roads were fairly dicey.  

An inch of snow is normally not a problem out here unless it's a dry snow, which this was.  Dry snow doesn't like to stay put, it likes to blow all over the place and cause white out conditions in areas and pack into ice under the weight of the semis that run all night long.  Not to mention, when cars and trucks pass you, heading in the opposite direction, they blow snow everywhere and you have no visibility whatsoever.  Thus, I got to stay close to home this morning, which I was thankful for.

I work in two separate offices which are about 35 miles apart.  Normally, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I'm in the long range office, whereas on Mondays and Fridays I get to stay close to home. This little bit of snow put a kink in my schedule and I had to work in both offices today.  I don't mind the drive at all anymore but I like to stay busy and that's what I am not, after a 35 mile drive.  

I cut my lunch short to make the drive and get to the long range office as close to 1:00 as possible only to find there is absolutely nothing to do here today. This is an issue I've run into for months, since my part time transfer to the long range office and I have to tell you, it's really getting old.  I am thankful I have a job, please do not mistake this blog as a cry to quit, I simply would like to be more productive with my time.

As I have enlarged my Google+ community, I've read so many discussions about how busy you all are in your jobs and I have to say, I feel a little left behind. No, no, it's not your fault (obviously), it's perhaps that I'm a little jealous of your ability to stay so busy.

If you are a person that works from your home, or on the go, how do you find information you feel would be interesting enough for your readers to flock to? How do you pick what to write about, share about, and still have time to do whatever it is you do to bring an income into your household?

I find that if I spend my personal time reading everything you put out here, I end up not having time to do the things I need to do for my own business. The flood of information out here is crazy and I have a difficult time deciding what to read, what to bookmark, what to print, what to calendar.

I can now rename my blog as the content of it has given itself to me.  

I encourage comments and feedback because, honestly, you are all amazing to me and I need your good examples to rub off on me a little.  

January Number Four - High Levels of Uranium in SW Kansas Water

Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy

I lived in Deerfield and Lakin, Kansas for many years and having higher than acceptable levels of uranium in the drinking water had been a problem for years. After a multitude of health issues and elevated cases of cancer plagued the region, many locals citing the bad water as the cause, I decided I wanted to find out why the levels of uranium were so high in this area.  

Below is a section that relates to why the levels are higher in this area than in surrounding areas.  It appears to me that the drought SW Kansas has been suffering with for the past 20 years is taking its toll on everything from humans to plant life.

I included the link to the entire project at the top of the page, if reading this kind of stuff is your idea of a good time.  It was for me and I'm definitely not a geologist or scientist of any kind.

Upper Ark – Lake McKinney Watershed

2008

Trace constituents of concern

The process of evapotranspiration concentration of dissolved salts in Arkansas River water not only increases concentrations of the major constituents such as sulfate and sodium but also of minor and trace constituents. The concentrations of some minor and trace inorganic substances dissolved in the river water become limited by chemical reactions such as adsorption on sediments, whereas the levels of other constituents continue to increase with rising salinity. The elements boron (B), selenium (Se), and uranium (U) can increase to concentrations that exceed either recommended or regulated levels for particular uses.

Boron is an element that occurs in water primarily in the form of boric acid (H3BO3). The boron level in most Kansas streams is usually less than a few tenths of a mg/L (a few hundred μg/L). However, boron is concentrated with other dissolved constituents in Arkansas River water and has exceeded 0.75 mg/L (750 μg/L), the maximum level listed in the Kansas surface-water quality standards for irrigation use, in low river flows. Boron concentrations above this level can be toxic to selected sensitive crops such as onions, and levels within the range 0.76-1 mg/L can begin to become toxic to wheat, barley, and sunflowers. The highest boron concentration observed in the Arkansas River within the Lake McKinney watershed is nearly always less than one mg/L.

Selenium is a trace constituent that is also concentrated with dissolved salts in Arkansas River water. Selenium occurs in stream water primarily in the form of selenite (SeO3) or selenate (SeO4) ions. Dissolved selenium concentration is typically less than a few μg/L in Kansas streams but usually has exceeded 5 μg/L, the chronic toxicity level for aquatic life use listed in the Kansas surface-water quality standards, in lower flows of the Arkansas River in the Lake McKinney watershed. High levels of selenium can be toxic to aquatic life, such as fish and invertebrates, and to birds that eat aquatic life containing excessive selenium content. The selenium concentration of Arkansas River water has exceeded 20 μg/L, the acute toxicity level for aquatic life, for some low flows in the watershed. Selenium in the Arkansas River has not been observed to exceed 30 μg/L, therefore it is not a drinking-water concern because the maximum contaminant level for potable water is 50 μg/L.

Uranium is another trace element concentrated with salinity in the Arkansas River. Uranium dissolved in stream water occurs primarily in the form of uranyl ion (UO2) complexed with hydroxyl (OH) and carbonate (CO3) ions. Uranium concentration in most stream waters is less than a few μg/L but has been measured as high as over 60 μg/L in the Arkansas River. For example, a river water sample collected at Garden City in 1999 contained a uranium concentration of 68 mg/L; the sulfate content of this sample was 2,280 mg/L. The U.S. EPA established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 30 μg/L for uranium in drinking water at the end of 2003 and Kansas adopted this as a regulated standard in 2004. Chemical data for the Arkansas River in southwest Kansas indicate that the uranium concentration usually exceeds 30 μg/L when the sulfate content is greater than 1,400 mg/L, a common condition for moderate to low river flows.

The selenium/sulfate and uranium/sulfate ratios are both within a limited range in water from John Martin Reservoir in southeastern Colorado downstream in the Arkansas River valley to Dodge City (Figure 11). These ratios are useful for comparing how these trace elements change relative to sulfate, the major constituent in greatest concentration. The ratios show some variation in central Colorado then become relatively constant from the John Martin Reservoir downstream, thus there is little relative change due to hydrological and geochemical processes or any additional sources downstream from this location. The ratios indicate that the saline water crossing the state line generally changes very little for these constituents as it moves downstream to and within Kansas. A selenium/sulfate ratio in the range of 0.7 x 10-5 plus or minus 0.2 x 10-5 indicates that when the sulfate concentration is above about 600-900 mg/L in the Arkansas River, the selenium content generally exceeds 5 μg/L. A uranium/sulfate ratio in the range of 2.5 x 10-5 plus or minus 0.5 x 10-5 indicates that when the sulfate level is greater than about 1,000-1,500 mg/L, uranium concentration generally exceeds 30 μg/L. Based on the distribution of sulfate levels with flow shown in Figure 10, Arkansas River water usually contains selenium and uranium concentrations that exceed the chronic toxicity level for aquatic life use and the MCL for drinking water, respectively, when the flow is less than 300 ft3/sec, a condition that is typical for the river.

The drinking water standard for uranium is based on the toxicity of the element. However, uranium is also a radioactive element. Other trace elements that are radionuclides and contribute to the radioactivity of stream water include radium. The main radioactivity concern for the Arkansas River is alpha radiation for which there is a maximum contaminant level of 15 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) for adjusted gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) in drinking water. KDHE is currently examining gross alpha radiation in the Arkansas River. The radionuclide levels are higher in the Arkansas River than in other Kansas surface waters due to the source and high concentration of uranium and other dissolved constituents in the river water.

January Number Three - How Important Are They?

I watched a program on television last night that focused on the controversy of celebrities' children being photographed by the paparazzi.

This is not a subject that necessarily concerns me as I'm not a celebrity and I don't have the paparazzi chasing me down on a daily basis, thankfully.  However, the celebrities interviewed shared their frustrations and insightful, which I was actually surprised about, perceptions on the trauma and fear forced upon these little ones who have no say in who takes their pictures.

It appears that the laws here in the United States are much more lenient regarding the personal space of children than the laws across the pond and, after watching the program and seeing the emotional upheaval of the children, I feel a change needs to be made on their behalf.

Understanding that a celebrity has a certain amount of responsibility to the public, as that is career decision they made, their children are not part of that and their privacy should be protected.  If a parent states their child's picture should not be taken, don't take it.  If the child tells you to stop taking their picture or don't take my picture, respect that!

I'm not going to puff on that pipe and think the paparazzi is going to change their colors and suddenly change the way they do things, you don't sell pictures to magazines that way so the consumer is going to have to change the way they consume.

Are not YOUR OWN children, grandchildren, nephews, and nieces just as cute as the celebrities' children?  Do you buy those magazines to compare their cuteness?  WHY do YOU feel the need to see what a celebrity's child looks like anyway?  Who really cares?  You're never going to meet that child, or his or her parents.  You're not going to babysit. There's not going to be a play date with your child and theirs.  

Consumers are the means by which the paparazzi make their money.  Paparazzi make their money by basically exploiting another human being's image.  If that image is of a celebrity, fine.  If it is the image of a child of a celebrity, it's not fine.  The only way to help the children from the trauma of being chased down and harassed by photographers, possibly be involved in vehicle accidents (remember Princess Diana?) is to stop buying the pictures of the children! Stop buying the magazines that exploit the children without their consent.  

I am an optimistic pessimist, therefore I'm certain very few will stop doing what they're doing and most, if not all, will continue to buy the celebrity magazines and live vicariously through them, but I would hope that at least one would take to heart the thought that, if it were your child, you would be all over that photographer to protect your child.

January Number Two

Late in 2013 I created my first vision board which looked like the one above. Since creating a vision board was a new concept to me, I didn't really know what to put on it and I just tossed a few pictures together like a salad and called it "good enough".

I was told I should put things on my board that meant the most to me, things that brought me the most pleasure, things that would fulfill a need or want or desire in me.  That, my friends, was a lot harder to come up with than it sounds and, thus, the reason my board looks a little skimpy.

I don't know that I've made huge strides in my abilities to make my vision board look any better, but I am getting a little better at describing what these pictures actually mean, plus, I've added several others on another board which is at home in my office.  

Financial freedom is a big thing for me, but  that term, in my use for it, simply means that I don't work for another human being or entity as I do now to survive.  I would love to work because I love to work and love to work at what I love to work at which, in itself, would no longer be work at all, thus, I would ultimately be free.

There are a few photos here of gardening stuff and yoga stuff and "no stress" stuff which touch a deep part of my being.  There is no sweeter perfume than the smell of freshly turned earth.  When I garden, when I touch Mother Earth, when she and I connect, skin to skin, it's magical.  I become calm and any stress I had dissipates quickly.  The connection between us is difficult to explain unless I'm explaining it to ones who have felt it themselves.  Others will think I'm at least half crazy .... they may be half right.  

As I've written before, I have a large family and I expect it to continue to grow in the upcoming years so family is important to me.  However, as we all know, family changes.  The roots may stay in the same place but the tree branches out and go in many different directions.  It becomes difficult to visit every one, every year. Holidays have to be compromised in consideration for the inlaws. It almost becomes appropriate to set up a "Parenting Plan" or "Inlaw Holiday Plan" so we each get our appropriate visitations with our families equally.  I may suggest that some time this year.  Ha!

At any rate, creating a vision board has been and continues to be a bit of a challenge for me but I keep trying and isn't that the just of it all?  Keep trying?  If you don't succeed the first 1,000 times, try 1,001 times?  

I don't know when I will die but I do hope I have a few more years to work on making an amazing, dynamic vision board and as I progress, and I will, I will update you all.  You know why I will update you?   Because I know you CAN'T WAIT to see WHAT'S NEXT WITH ME!!!!

See you On The Horizon

January

This is my family.  Well, actually, these are my children.  I have six of them.  Five daughters and one son.  When this picture was taken, my daughter (front left) was carrying my seventh grandchild, so my "family" is actually much larger than what you see here.

These six individuals have brought a tremendous amount of joy, tribulation, trepidation, hilarity, intrigue, and a multitude of other nouns to my life as I enjoyed watching them grow into the unique human beings they are.

I just wanted to introduce you to my family as I welcome the new year and some new friends into my circles.