Trevin my little "Bubba" he looks so old here. He's not even 2 yet, but he is all boy!


Trevin was very ill with the flu and it looks like Momma and sister made him a bed all cozy on the couch. He has his frow up bowl and lots of bath clothes and big sis helping him out. Then it was poor Lexi's turn. My babies were so sick, but thanks to wonderful parents they got through it along with there Uncle Brandon helping out and Nikki Brandon's girlfriend. I guess they all had a throw up party one day. And gee I missed it. I was staying away before my surgery so I would not get it.

Well I did over due just a little yesterday so I am relaxing more today. I went to the lung doctor and he said all sounds clear! I was so happy to hear that, and also it was good to see this doctor again who saved my life. Dr. Tan showed me pictures of a nodule growing in my sinuses and this is where the bleed is coming from. While I was having surgery it bled down into my lungs and I developed the blood clots that dam near killed me. I have weak lungs in the first place so this was pretty bad for me. I don't have a lung disease but a birth defect of weak spots. My lungs have collapsed 3 times in my life spontaneously. Talk about pain! Oh when your lung collapses it is excruciating plus you can barely breath and it feels like a vice around your chest. Not a good combo let me tell ya. But the last collapse goes all the way back to 1985 thank goodness. So Dr. Tan washed my lungs and sucked out the clots. I had two main area's that were almost completely clogged with them, so right after the treatment I could breathe better. So that's about it for today, just hanging out in my happy room and getting all those unfinished projects done. Oh and "Baby" is on the mend too, poor little guy feels much better.

O.K. here's how my morning went. I
got up after 8 solid hours of sleep!
Glorious deep sleep, and for the first
time in 8 days felt wonderful. No pain?
Wow that's weird? I'm liking this, so I
got up real slow and started moving
around, still no pain!!!!! Yay! Then I
remembered, husband back to work
today which means no hovering over
me (thank God I had someone who
did) so I could do whatever I wanted to.
First thought "GRANITA" do I dare go
by myself and get one? Oh hell yeah!
Oh I wonder if I will get dizzy like I have
been, maybe I better not. Oh I can do it
so I still in my Jammie's put my bathrobe
on grabbed my oxygen tank and took off.
A little shaky at the wheel but not bad,
pain meds had worn off so I could see
clearly. What freedom it is to drive a car
let me tell you. You can take just about
anything from me but not my car! Well
I made it there and back feeling oh so
proud of my self. I stocked up and put
drinks in freezer so I am good for 4 more
days. Hey I plan cause I may not be able
to do this again in the morning. I still feel
good so I take a shower and get dressed
(in clean jammies) then go to get
something to eat and find my sweet
"baby" dog has diarrhea all over the
carpet! Day goes to crap right about here :)
So I clean that up and the poor dog is just
sick. I'm thinking what the heck did he get
into now? He gets into everything (stinker)
but he's my Baby. Off to kitchen to see
what is in the frig, we have milk...good I
will have cream of wheat. I'm preparing my
meal and I hear a sound very familiar to me
these past 8 days? What the heck! Dog has
done it again! O.K. I really have lost my
appetite now, clean up on aisle 3. I sit down
with my drink and just relax awhile. "baby"
comes over stares at me and then goes to
the door and rings the bell to go outside
once again. So much for relaxing today.
Out he goes this time making it to the lawn.
Whew!

Sitting in my room just glassy eyed and bored.
My pretty pincushion


This is my view at night, in my quiet space


Let's see what projects we have going on?? I see
nothing, just a semi clean desk with no creativity
going on....zzzzzzzzzzz oh sorry I nod off a lot.
I couldn't start something if I wanted too.

A pretty rose heart to gaze at...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'm alive!! And that's a good thing..the reason
I'm able to blog is I can't sleep much and I
can't lay down. So prop me up in front of
computer with my warm fuzzy slippers, new
bathrobe, and new Jammie's and I'll type away.
My husband took me to the doctors today to
get my stitches out and a check up with the
doctor. On the way we picked up my favorite
drink which is a Granita (heaven) saw doc and
he said lab reports not back yet but he took
stitches out. That didn't hurt at all just little
pinches to take staples out. (thank goodness)
Back to car and stopped at our favorite diner
"Zips" and went through the drive through.
Hey I did not even get dressed to go out to
the doctors I mean why? it's like running a
marathon just to get pants on! During surgery
to take my kidney out I had a bleed somewhere
in my throat or sinuses and I developed blood
clots in my lungs, that's why I'm on oxygen.
So just to walk to toilet and back across the
hall to craft room I'm worn out! I should just
get a pot and put it on the chair and sit on it
sure would be easier :) Naw! I need to walk
and get exercise to keep my plumbing moving
and working properly, cause that is the number
one thing you don't want to have problems with.
So today's appt. was with surgeon and tomorrow
I go see my pulmonist to check on my lungs. He's
the main man I want to see. See ya later!

Did I tell you I had "Hallucinations?" in the Hospital?

For example: I'm stuck in my bed looking straight
at a wall with a huge digital clock with seconds. (It
must be the number 1 question a patient has for
the nurse's) My doctor comes in and says "Pearl
even if your stuck in bed you can still wiggle your
toes, rotate hands, bring legs up etc." So he leaves
and I'm doing my exercises and the second hand
is moving to the rhythm of my ankle twisting. I'm
like cool, when I stop my feet from moving the clock
stops! I'm like, isn't technology cool?? My goodness
how do they tell the nurses computers to do this
to my clock in my room so they can tell I'm doing
my exercises? Well there not going to catch me not
doing my exercises I'm going to be a good girl. In
comes my son to visit me. I tell him with pride
what I can do! I made him watch the clock and said
now watch me stop the clock (full of pride) the clock
will not stop this time?? I said "I must be doing this
wrong lets try it again" Still no clock stoppage? When
my son turned and looked at me with grave concern
I realized with embarrassment that it wasn't real,
and I wasn't going to fess up, so I said "I'm just kidding"
It's a thought in my head of how I'm going to do this
in all hospital rooms because I know what a great idea
it is and I'll make millions!! He just laughed at me?? :)

O.K. I'm back!! I made it through surgery!!!!
That was a ride in a half, I just got out of the
hospital yesterday (Saturday) And flat too tired
and having so many problems that I could not
begin to post anything. I was having a very bad
reaction to a narcotic they gave me in the hospital
and then sent it home with me. I was having
"Hallucinations" a very intense feeling that had
my eyes bugging out.....finally I told my husband
its the pain meds get them dam things out of here
I would rather have pain (you will never hear that
line out of my mouth again..ever!) So here it is
Sunday even if you can get hold of your doctor
we have no open pharmacy's in our area? Well,
I woke up having slept for 6 glorious hours in a
straight row...feeling wonderful. But wait....PAIN
dam forgot about that but tummy didn't forget
it hurt. No hubby around hovering all over me?
Where is my favorite nurse?? Nurse Darrell?
Sick son yells from his door trying to sleep but
hears Mom up. "Mom, Dad got a hold of doctor
and will be back in a little while" "What? Wait?
he got hold of a doctor?. This will be interesting
when he gets home. "Water! I need water my
eye balls are sucked out dry, lids going over eye
ball scrape, scrape." There it is a cup of ice water,
all mine!!!!!!!!! Drink.........drink............drink......
Choking bad bad....oh yeah esophagus still partly
numb from surgery after surgery on taking my
kidney out. Blood clots in lungs!! Bad pain can't
breathe after waking up from surgery lying
in my room...more pain pills please...can I have
different pain pills? these ones are giving me
headaches?? And why am I on oxygen still?
Nurse says "stats are low were not sure why
yet" "my lower back is really sore, what's up
with that?" Nurse "were trying to figure that
out" Time for a picture while I get my thoughts
squared away..."Darrell where are you?" (The
man with the brain.....

I have three or four different plants in this
arrangement. Wow that's worth the money,
these will last forever. My sister in law sent
this. So nice when people take the time to buy
flowers when your not feeling well. It really
brightens your home and spirits.


My sister sent these from Hawaii. No she
doesn't live there, she was on vacation there
while I was having my kidney ripped from my
body!! Thanks Sis this meant a lot to me.


Walking around house just loving the flowers
sent to me by family. My mother in law and
father in law sent me my favorite pink ones
with a touch of white. Breath taking No?


Oh my Goodness I got paper flowers!!?? How
cool is that?! They have to be from my daughter
-in-law....wheres card..yep from Jules..talented
crafty cool Jules & Tye my son. Click on pictures
to see butterflies..and worms!! Lovely
Husband comes home....I got you stuff at the
store...juice, grapes (gods gift) "Granita!!! yeah
baby a Granita!! Darrell? have I told you lately
how much I love you??!! "yes you have been I
never tire of it" KISS!! (me love Granita's) then
I hopefully with pleading eyes say "Got any new
whoo whoo pills from doctor?????" Nope I couldn't
get any not until Monday doctor says...(me crying
o.k. I knew i was pushing it with the Granita award)
he wants you off all narcotics cause your hallucinating
and its going to plug you up like crazy. (sniffle o.k.)
Tylenol is probably not going to take care of pain,but
I will give something new Monday (Monday? is this
man insane? Feed me drugs that don't make me
crazy!!!..please.) o.k. my Mother calls and says
"I don't know what to get you, so I'm bringing over
lunch with your Father" I said you don't have to
get me...what? lunch? real food? O.k. ma see ya soon.
She arrives alone with sack after sack of "K.F.C"
(guys are hungry there up like shots to the door
grabbing sacks, taking off her coat and making her
go sit on couch while they run to the car and get the
rest.) I'm in heaven chicken never looked so good
5 days with hospital food restricted to water in any way
shape or form that you want, just wasn't cutting it.
But losing a kidney and mass as big as kidney and
no food, husband says "your belly has gone way down"
(me checking belly) "hey I can see new sites from
here, my toes need grooming" One good thing out
of all this." We are all sitting and waiting for my
Father to get here (he's 74yrs. young) but no sign
of him. Mom says he's picking up desert to bring,
its apple pie. We all eye ball each other with drool
on our mouths. Mom says "well where is he? I'm
hungry" we all chip in were hungry too! I say "I say
I never did like that man!" Everyone agrees....some
one pipes in "lets eat with out him!" We all run wildly
to the kitchen laughing our buns off, filling our plates
saying "It doesn't matter to him he knows us to well
and were all right. Dad comes in and were all eating
and we say "your late" he says "no I'm not its exactly
12:00" we look at clock it's 12:00 then we tell him,
we never liked you anyway and we weren't waiting.
He says "Where's my chicken??" (I love my Family :)

Things Have Been To Serious Lately

Rose's from my husband, with a wonderul dinner
of huge prawn's in his famous sauce over noodles.
Yum! My last big meal, tomorrow light broth and
gatorade until surgery.


So Have A Smile Today
Happy Valentines Day To All Who
Enter Here

Thank you to all who left me comments!!

Cancer

Cancer: What do you do when you hear that word?
I had a ultra sound to check on some things, that
turned out to be nothing. But while they were looking
they found a cancerous mass on my kidney! I had left
the hospital after the ultra sound and went to the mall
to shop for Christmas. It was December 16th two days
after my birthday. I was on the escalators and my cell
phone rings. The doctors nurse called me and had just
got the reports from the ultra sound (that's weird the
technician told me it would be 2 days or so before my
doctor would get the report) and she said "We need
you to come in right now" I'm like huh? (right now?
aren't they suppose to say come in later in the afternoon
we need to see you?) I said (and here's the dumb part)
"what do you mean right now? I'm shopping" A true
shopper to the end :) So I said o.k. I'm on my way. When
I get there I have to have a new doctor who I have never
seen before and he came in asked me of any symptoms
I may have been having? I said "I feel tired and worn
out, but I've been that way for 5 years!" So I said "What's
up?" He said "You have cancer of the kidney" Plain and
straight. I was very grateful to him for saying it very forward
and proceeded to have many questions, which you don't get
until the next test. A C. T. scan, so off I go the next day for
that. Can't get into see him until December 22, to know what
the C.T. scan says. So the urologist says "Oh I'm sure its just
a cyst, it's very large but I'm sure its a cyst. I didn't believe that
for one second, I knew in my heart that the young doctor that
I saw was right on, I just knew it. So he says "Merry Christmas"
and flew on to the next patient, then I hear he's on his way to
Hawaii! I was angry because I believe he knew and decided
to let me have a nice Christmas? I'm like, no I don't care if it's
Christmas day, that doesn't matter I want to know now! So
now I have to go through Christmas not telling anyone in my
family because I don't want to ruin our very special Christmas
because my niece was going to be there with her daughter, which
we hadn't seen her in 11yrs. I was certainly not going to tell my son's
and make them miserable. So anyway after Christmas I get a call
on Dec 30 from the nurse at the urologists that the doctor on call
wants to do a kidney biopsy (my doc is still dancing with the natives
in Hawaii, and probably some of my relatives that live there) I was
so happy to have a biopsy because then they would know for sure!
My husband and I go to the hospital for this to be done, and before
we go in he says "I'm sure to that this is just a cyst, and we'll just
drain it and off ya go" I'm thinking yeah and you work with my
first doctor so what makes ya believe I'm gonna believe you??
In he goes with the first needle, they give you sleepy drugs and
you don't feel a thing. Your not asleep mind you, because I'm on
my stomach and he's going into my right flank, the table is right
next to my eyes where he is trying to put it on a slide. I'm talking
to him the whole time, and he brings it out and trys to push the
needle contents out onto the slide. NOTHING will come out? So
he gets a bigger needle and the same thing happens again. I'm not
kidding when I say he went back in with a needle 5 to six times,
each time increasing the needle size. He says "Sorry Pearl I have
never had to poke someone this many times before" I'm like "haaay!"
Another sign I'm in the hands of idiots! So last needle he gets some
of the mass out and say's "oh this is definitely a tumor" (Ya think??)
O.K. so now I know, but my urologist can't see me until January 15th
to read the C.T. scan to let me know if and how far it has spread.
Let me just say right here and right now, that letting someone go this
long a time is just cruel and I hope unusual punishment. So my urologist
tells me you have cancer and it has NOT spread (stomach not wanting to
puke anymore) but we have to take out the entire kidney. I'm like, o.k.
take it out!! I've got another one! Just get it out of me! Then he Say's
were all booked until Feb 17th. This is when I should have got on a plane
and went to Seattle and said "Audios" But then I realized I have to get
some financial matters taken care of and my husband and I have been
talking about a will but you know how it goes, it usually takes something
like this to kick you in the butt to get one done. :) So "Time" lots of it, to
much of it, and you start thinking weird stuff like "oh how are my boys
going to deal with it if I die? how will they ever tell my 4year old granddaughter
my buddy about death?? (drama here) but you can't help but think of your
mortality. I mean people have it done all the time and we have two so
no problem right? Well yeah that's what they say, and I sure hope there
right. I just keep hearing the surgeon saying "The biggest problem is
bleeding, bleed, bleed bleed" I'm thinking "that's important right? Bleeding?
Really you just shouldn't make people wait this long (a mind is a terrible thing
to waste) and I'm wasted! Also I read up on this, they are not suppose to do
a biopsy if it's cancer, because you can spread the cancer with the tip of the
needle! So the damage is done. The big day is Feb 17th next Tuesday and
I will hopefully only be in the hospital for 2-4 days unless they have problems
then its cut ya way open and I'll be in the hospital for 7 days. So I thought I
would post this so all my blogging buddies would know where the heck
"Pearl?" is. I want you all to know that when I wrote this it was 3 0r 4 in the a.m.
and I'm on pain meds (whooohoo!) It says posted at 11: something but that's
when I started :) So I reread it this morning and had to laugh cause some of
it don't make sense? (sorry) Wish me well, and I'll see you soon!

These sweet old ladies grace my house and I've
had them for years. They are completely drawn
by hand using only a pencil. Notice the lady's hand
hanging out of the oval frame. They are in a hallway
that I pass by everyday, and I have to smile every
time. Click to enlarge picture.


I had to go for my pre-op appt. today at the
hospital so of course I went into the "Gift Shop"
I never pass up a gift shop! They always have
very unique stuff. Like these shabby hangers! I
was so excited to get them. They were $3.25 a piece
and your not gonna get that on the Internet. I've
been looking for these hangers so I could do some
up for myself but I haven't been able to find them?
Anybody know where to get them?


Just a little corner in my house bathroom. The
wallpaper is lovely but I'm so tired of peach and
green. Maybe I could paint the flowers with pink,
instead of having to take wallpaper off?

This my sweet baby boy who is no longer a baby.
He's 17 now, but I do love this picture. His father
had a picture just like this when he was a baby
with the blanket over his head so I had my photographer
do the same. He has the biggest blue eyes with dark
almost black hair.

Another little corner in the entry way. This is a
beautiful pear that the top comes off and I keep
stamps inside it. The lamp I got years ago when
I was so into purple! It doesn't quite fit my home
anymore so I will sell it some day. It's so pretty
lit up at night.

Well I'm finally getting into the swing of things
and finishing some boards I had started. I love
the blues and the muted yellow colors here. And
the digital image I used.


I still have a hanger to put on or not. Haven't
decided yet.

Thank You

I want to thank everyone who has left me comments
and who have helped me along the way. I received
excellent advice about leaving comments on people's
blogs. It's a great thing to do, and it makes people feel
wonderful. Thanks, Pearl

A special order

I shopped at one of my favorite shops http://joggles.com
this week and bought some more of my favorite hand
dyed ribbons. I also got one of Somerset's stamps.
This little guy is so much fun to color.

Some rose vine ribbon (yummy!)

Here's a close up of the ribbons

And I love these German scraps, no cutting these out, which is

something I hate doing. The little girl is a 9 x 6 so I'm putting

her on canvas to make a nice wall hanging. I'll post some pictures

of that when I'm done. The little girl and the one of all the children

only cost $2.75 each at Joggles, and the quality is outstanding

so I'm going to buy more!

A Rose To Brighten Blog Land