10 Questions

1) Right now I want: To be totally recovered & able to eat more than two tablespoons at one time.

2) I wish I knew how to: Talk to my children & solve all their problems.

3.) When I want to indulge myself, I: Sleep in or eat something I shouldn't

4) You’ll never see me: In a bikini!

5) A childhood memory that I love: Riding to Waterside in my mom's yellow car & having my own cup holder.

6) 2 things I do every single day: Take my medicine & brush my teeth.

7) Happiest moment of 2008, so far: Being with my family at Potter County.

8) Describe yourself in 3 words: Fun-loving, dedicated, stubborn

9) 2 scrap related goals for this year: To scrap...period - nuff said

10) You have $40 that you MUST spend on yourself – what do you do with it? Go to the book store.

Bye-Bye Wound Vac

It is with a heavy heart (HA!) I must report that my K.C.I. wound vac is on its way back to wherever it is it came.

As of yesterday, I am done with the wound vac therapy. All I have on my stomach are two layers of gauze that are soaked in saline and those two layers of gauze are covered with about four layers of dry gauze & tape.

I still have my feeding tube which should come out on Monday, September 15 when I see the surgeon again.

So I am almost "good as new" and no one is as happy as I am!

Aidan's Opening Day 2008

Today was Aidan's first football game of the 2008 season. We played at 11th & Pike Street in Reading.

They got to wear their new jerseys today but had to hand them in at the end of game because they need to have numbers added to the sleeves. I'm not sure who picked white for the color of the jersey, it obviously was not a person who regularly does the wash.

And check out his new cleats! They are predominately white & they have slots on the side so you can slide in these pieces of plastic of different colors. Of course we have one shoe with maroon & one shoe gold. They look pretty sweet. I'm not thrilled with the white, but I didn't pick them!

The whole team did really well, although tackling was a little lacking. I have a feeling that practice will be pretty grueling this week - think tackling drills over & over again.

Aidan had a good game. He had a 50 yard run in the first half on a third down & 20 to go.

His team lost 12 to 7. He wasn't that upset about it, but it did wear him out. He came home & promptly passed out on the sofa - still in his football pants, girdle, cup & sneakers.

I've come to realize....

1. I've come to realize that my boobs are getting smaller each week (much to my husband's dismay!).

2. I've come to realize that my job is not that important in the grand scheme of life.

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving...it's been so long since I've driven...I don't pay attention enough.

4. I've come to realize that I need a haircut & some stylin'!

5. I've come to realize that I have lost my sense of self.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when I don't know what I want and when I finally figure out what it is that I want, I don't know how to get it.

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk, I can't make it to the bathroom on two feet - crawling is a better option.

8. I've come to realize that money can't buy happiness, but if you don't have it...you sure can be miserable!

9. I've come to realize that certain people go above and beyond friendship.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always be missing home.

12. I've come to realize that my mom is the strongest person I know.

13. I've come to realize my cell phone is not a necessity.

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning I only have a few more days with the wound vac!

15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep I had a headache - for the first time in months!

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking about cleaning everything!

17. I've come to realize that my dad is the most hardworking, smartest & forgiving person I know.

18. I've come to realize that when I get on the computer I need to set time limits.

19. I've come to realize that today I am so blessed.

20. I've come to realize that tonight I need to express to my husband & sons that they are the best & I wouldn't know what to do without them!

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow is Friday - YIPPEE!

22. I've come to realize that I really want to make life perfect for my sons.

24. I've come to realize that life is too short & it's not my plan - I'm not in charge. That's hard to admit!

25. I've come to realize that this weekend is going to be so much fun - Family Time! Maybe we'll make some salsa!

26. I've come to realize that the best music to listen to when I am upset is - something upbeat - Nickelback - Flo-Rida - something to take my mind off whatever is upsetting me.

27. I've come to realize that friends are indispensable & irreplaceable.

28. I've come to realize that this year has been full of surprises & I look forward to each & every day to come - no matter what the challenges.

Light at the End of the Tunnel!

My visiting nurse was here on Wednesday & thank goodness - there is an end in sight!

She seems to think that by Monday, September 8, 2008, my incision on my stomach should be pulled together enough to be done with the wound vac. HALLELUJAH!

The next step will be a saline or gel dressing until everything is "back to normal".

The nurses that come to the house keep asking me if I want to look at the incision - because "it's so healthy & pink looking", I just say - no thanks. I will look at it when my insides aren't on the outside.

I hope I can get my stamina back up relatively quickly. I was putting clean clothes away the other day & by the time I was done - I was physically exhausted. I did not enjoy that in the least bit. When this wound vac is off for good I need to start an exercise regimen so I can get back to the level I was at eight months ago.

I am also looking forward to being able to clean to the laundry room/office. Come - *you*know*what* or high water, that room is getting clean. I need to set a time frame as to when we will have it done. Thanks to Tricia, I don't have all the Sizzix stuff to contend with anymore & I know that it is going to good use. I have also been behaving myself when it comes to bringing new treasures into my house (being "homebound" does have some advantages), but I need to go through the stuff I still have & decide what I want to keep & what needs to go. It was really easy telling my Mom to just get rid of stuff when I was in the hospital because I couldn't see it going out the door. Now I'm home & let me tell you - IT'S HARD!

I will probably post more tomorrow. Austin has his first real football game at Red Lion today. I don't think I will get a lot of information from him, but I will post what I get.

First Day of School - Start of a New Era

Monday, August 25 was the first day back to school for our boys. I can't believe it is already that time of year. I felt so unprepared - thank goodness for Shamma because if it wouldn't have been for her taking the boys school shopping, who knows what supplies & clothes they would have to suffer with.


Our oldest son is officially a Junior High School student. So far, he loves it. He likes changing classes and not having the same teacher all day long. Jerry wakes him up at 6:00 am so he can be ready to catch the bus at 7:00. So far, so good - there have been no complaints about having to get up so early.

Austin has football practice everyday after school from 3:30-5:30. He likes practice & told us he thinks he made the varsity 7th grade team. We don't care which team he made as long as he is having fun. On nights that Aidan has football practice from 5:30-7:30, Austin doesn't get home until Jerry & Aidan get home from practice so that makes for a long day for him, but you know Austin, he doesn't complain.


Aidan started second grade on Monday. He likes his teacher, although on the second day he came home complaining of a headache because his teacher talked too much. Oh the life of an eight-year-old. I wish I had his problems.

Football is going well for Aidan (Jerry gives me the play-by-play each evening after practice). He had his first scrimmage on Tuesday evening against Schuylkill Valley. Jerry said he was great.


In the following pictures, you can see him (#98 - far right side) get the ball and run it up the side. It kills me that I can't go to these things, but I have to devote my energy to getting better.






I went to see the surgeon yesterday for a follow up appointment & he said the incision looks good & I probably will only need to have the wound vac for another two weeks! Woo Hoo! He took out my other drain, but said the feeding tube will need to stay in until he sees me again on September 15. I feel so much better knowing that there is an end in sight. When they originally told me that I would need to have this contraption on me for four to six weeks - UGH! To say I was depressed is an understatement. I would definitely have to say that it is all the prayers I have been getting that is making this happen. Thank you so much to those of you who have been sending your prayers my way. It means so much.

Home - At Last!

I am typing this from the comfort of my very own living room & after a 10 day stay at the luxurious Reading Hospital & Medical Center let me just tell you in the immortal words of Dorothy - "There's no place like home!"

For those of you who weren't aware that I was in the hospital, here is a brief overview of what happened.

Starting right around my birthday in February of this year, I began to experience a slight pain in my abdominal region. I (having earned my PhD from the Bowmansville Technical Institute) just thought it was indigestion. I self medicated (Tums, Naproxium Sodium, etc.) and just continued on my happy existence.

I, the great and powerful Oz, uh, Tracy did not have the energy nor the time to be sick.

Fast forward to about a month ago. I had been happily medicating along, not thinking that there could be a greater underlying problem, or that I could be creating one.

While we were on vacation in Potter County the week of July 25 through August 3, I experienced excruciating pain in the middle of the night that almost sent me to Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport. I made my way through that night, but I knew my body was telling me that something wasn't right.

I guess my body had finally had enough. In the wee morning hours of August 11, 2008, I awoke with a pain like no other. I tried to lay on the floor in our bedroom & stretch out - "Maybe it's just a cramp!", but there was no relief.

I awoke my sweet husband & told him - "I have to go to the hospital, it hurts so bad.".

Let me just make this disclaimer: I have the most wonderful, sweet, understanding & amazing husband in the whole world. You can argue with me all you want, but he has just been my rock the past two weeks.

We arrived at Reading Hospital & most everything over the first few days is just a blur - literally.

Initially, I was diagnosed as having an ulcer. That was totally understandable to me. Stress + Naproxium Sodium=Ulcer. Naproxium Sodium is terrible apparently to people who have had bariatric surgery. Simple - right? WRONG!

They began running a series of tests which also indicated that my hemoglobin was really low and that I would need a blood transfusion. That indicates internal bleeding - FANTASTIC!

Well, they started me on some medicine for my ulcer, gave me one bag of blood & decided to admit me to the hospital. I received another bag of blood once I got to my room. Over the next day and a half of poking & prodding, my pain level had not gone down from a "10". The doctors could not understand why I was experiencing such high levels of pain.

It was then decided that I would have an endoscopy to see exactly what was going on in my digestive region. Jerry has also told me that sometime over these two days I had a cat scan, but I have no recollection of this.

It was discovered that I had a perforated ulcer located exactly at the point where my small intestine meets my stomach & that by taking the Naproxium, it had created an ulcer that had eaten away approximately half of the connection. This created an emergency surgery scenario which then placed me in the intensive care unit for two days and then to a "regular" room for a week.

I had X-Rays, cat-scans, swallowing tests, blood tests and the most miraculous thing of all...a Wound Vac. I currently have attached to my stomach a vacuum device.

As of today, my wound on my stomach measured 18 cm long (below the breastbone to the belly button), 4.5 cm wide, and 2 cm deep. The nurse came in and removed the wet-to-dry pack they had sent me home from the hospital with and packed the wound with foam (think air-conditioner filter foam), placed a thin layer of plastic on the top and then attached the wound vac, turned it on and Voila! it sucks fast and creates a seal that germs cannot get through. This encourages healing from the inside out. I will have this little treasure for the next four to six weeks - until it is healed. This also means I am home bound for the next four to six weeks - unless I go to church or go to get my hair done - those are the only two exceptions that I am allowed to leave the house. It could get mighty interesting around these here parts. Hopefully as each days goes I will feel stronger & able to do more around the house.

My mom came down on Monday, August 18 & has just been amazing. She came over (as did Tricia) and then proceeded to clean Austin's room, do laundry, cook, run the boys to football practice - I have the best parents in the whole world.

The week before, Jerry's sister Merry & her kids kept the boys for the entire week while Jerry was stuck at the hospital with me.

I cannot say thank you enough to all of these wonderful people who came to our rescue. I love you all so dearly, words cannot express.