Snow? Really?

I have to move. I mean, seriously - snow showers at the end of April? How can I possibly get into Spring Cleaning mode when there is snow blowing around? This is total crap. My body is so confused - last Sunday, it was mid-70s and I was out on the deck in shorts and a bikini top. Grrrr.

I was able to mostly sleep through the night. I still feel like I'm short so maybe I'll try to nap later today to catch up. What I really should do is get my butt to the gym, but I am just not motivated, especially with the icky weather.

Don is off to cover the exciting NFL draft. It will be a long day for him. The draft starts at 2:00 PM (CST) but the Vikings traded their first pick so won't "be on the clock" until the 2nd round. That means, assuming if all the teams use the entire time for their picks, the Vikings won't make their pick until about 8:00 PM. Don will probably be home around 10:00 PM or so. Day two of the draft should have a little more action and move a little quicker, but it will still be a long day for him. What I can't believe is that people actually sit in front of the TV to watch this event. The idea of listening to hours upon hours of Chris Berman bloviating is not my idea of fun.

Guess I better get started on some laundry and the dishes. Maybe that will get me in the mood to Spring Clean!

Counting Sheep

Once again, I am up at an ungodly hour. Why is my brain so active at 3:00 AM when I should be sleeping?

One of my goals for May is not to work more than 50 hours a week. How sad is that? I am giving up my time to work in exchange for less time with my family, less time at the gym (ugg - nothing like paying $50 a month for nothing more than the honor of holding a gym card), less time doing things I love - especially now that the weather has decided to play nice.

My typical day starts at 5:30 AM when the alarm goes off. I try to be on the road by 6:15 AM, which means I am at my desk with my computer revved up by 7:00 AM. I usually have back-to-back (to back) meetings from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM. I don't get out of the office until close to 5:30 PM (on a good day - some days, it's closer to 6:30 PM or later). I get home after 6:00 PM and then it's cook and eat dinner, try to catch up on some TiVO'd shows, spend some time with Don & the dogs. I "retire" between 8:00 - 9:00 to read before bed before "falling asleep" by 10:00 PM. I don't seem to have an issue with starting to sleep, but I have been getting up between 2:00 AM - 3:00 AM and not being able to fall back to sleep until close to 5:00 AM. By then, I am a mess - who can only get by with a few hours of sleep? If that happens, I end up drinking 40+ ounces of coffee and maybe a Diet Coke or energy drink just to try and get me through the day.

In the end, I find myself drifting off during meetings (especially if the room is warm) or just being grumpy with my staff.

I am not eating on a regular pattern, which I know contributes to the overall feeling of yuckiness.

My main goal is to try and actually get a full night's sleep. I hope to get that this weekend with some major spring cleaning, a trip (or two) to the gym and just the relief of knowing that a lot of what's on my plate is going to go away now that I have a boss to take on some of this work. Granted, that won't turn my mind off but, maybe, that will help.

Off to try and get a few more winks before the dreaded alarm goes off in 90 minutes.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

I have been battling severe insomnia for several weeks. Even sleeping pills just get me to 3:00 AM or so before I am awake and ready for battle. I have a lot on my mind, which keeps me thinking long after I should be counting sheep, but these 3:00 AM sojourns need to stop.

All I do is think about what needs to be done around the house or at work. It ends up making my brain work over time when I should be sleeping. I tend to read or bead just to "numb" the brain into sleep, but it's not working. I hate that I'm wide awake at these ungodly hours, especially because I end up nodding off at my desk or at some meeting.

I can't tell you how often this has caused me to go in to work before 6:00 AM and then end up staying until well after 5:00 PM. I am just a bundle of nervous energy that probably a good turn at the gym would solve, but that would mean actually making time for a workout, which isn't in the cards right now.

So, what do I do at 3:00 AM? I read (I've finished about 10 books in the last few weeks), bead, surf the Internet. I should be writing in my journal to get some of this shit out of my mind, but it's too laborious to even put on paper.

Right now, it's 3:50 AM - I've been up since 2:30 AM and I know I should go to bed and try to sleep until the alarm goes off at 5:30 AM, but I can't. I toss; I turn; I sweat (where did this come from?); I itch; I think.

I know a body gets used to a pattern, but this is just ridiculous. Even sitting here, all I can think about is trying to sleep. Grrrr......

Off to try and count sheep, even if it's only for another hour or so....

I'm B-a-a-a-c-k!

OK, the hiatus is over. The biggest change is that I finally have a new boss, who starts tomorrow. He's coming over from a different department, but he's very aware of who we are and what we do. Overall, the changes that are being made make a lot of sense and aligns groups in a very logical way. Bottom line, I can stop working 12-hour days & weekends and hopefully start sleeping through the night.

In addition to these changes, I had emergency surgery 3 weeks ago. I had been having trouble eating - I would get severe cramps every time I ate any dense protein. This went on for a few days, but it got really bad on a Sunday. I went into work on Monday and cramped even when I tried yogurt or a protein shake. I went to the nurse who suggested I go to the ER, which I really didn't want to do. After a few hours of enduring major pain, I decided to go in to the ER at the hospital where I had my WLS. After a 3 hour wait, I finally saw the ER doctor who did an ultrasound (irritated and swollen gallbladder but no gallstones) and then a CT scan. The scan showed what they thought was a major blockage at the "Y" section of my intestines.

I was admitted immediately with surgery scheduled for the following day by my WLS surgeon. Usually, when they think there is a blockage, they insert a nasal gastric tube - a tube that goes into one nostril, down your throat and into your stomach - to drain all liquids prior to surgery. Don had already gone home - it was now 1:00 AM on Tuesday morning. I had been battling pain since Sunday night and hadn't slept very well, so I was a bit grumpy and just wanted to rest (the pain meds were making me sleepy). They got the tube in and it felt like I had a bone caught in my throat. I went into a panic attack and tried to pull the tube out. After waiting 15 minutes to see if I would calm down, they finally removed it.

I got some rest, but not a lot. The next morning when I met with my surgeon, he said they would insert the NG tube after I was under. That had to be the worst part of the whole ordeal. If anyone suggests an NG tube, just say no!

They thought they might need to re-do a portion of my surgery - essentially removing the blocked portion and "reassembling" the "Y" connection. When they actually got in there, it wasn't an internal blockage, but scar tissue between the abdominal wall on the outer portion of my intestine. This is somewhat common, but it usually shows shortly after surgery, not 2+ years later. In the end, the surgery was about an hour and I was in recovery for only a short time - Don was just getting ready to grab a bite to eat since I was supposed to be in recovery for 2 hours and I was in there for less than 1.

I came out of anesthesia very well, and Don said I didn't even look like I had surgery. I was up walking around by 6:00 PM Tuesday evening. My original release date was going to be Thursday, however because I was doing so well, I got to go home on Wednesday morning. I did take the rest of the week off, and am now sporting 6 more lap incisions but they look pretty good. I'm able to actually eat a normal meals. Of course, it came at a very inopportune time work-wise but there was no way I could have postponed it and I'm just glad they figured out what was causing the pain.

Other big news - on somewhat of a whim, I decided to get tattooed on Saturday. Don was working, I needed to kill a few hours so I ended up at Saint Sabria's with my friend, Jen. As soon as it heals, I'll have Don take a photo. It's a heart with rainbow-colored wings and it's located between my shoulder blades. Of course, seeing all the possibilities made me think of where to get my next tattoo (ankle, wrist, lower back). It didn't hurt as much as I thought. I like that it's in a place where it's not visible unless I want it to be.

Don is doing well - in the full throes of getting ready for next week's NFL draft. The 2008 season was released last week. His travel schedule isn't too bad - New Orleans, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Detroit, Green Bay, Chicago and Nashville. He will be home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

The weather has FINALLY turned to Spring. We actually were getting snow the few days I was in the hospital. I was able to spend a few hours on the deck this afternoon catching up on my reading. It felt so good to get into the sun. We're supposed to get thunderstorms tomorrow, which I don't mind - just don't rain on my weekends!!

I'm hoping to get next Thursday & Friday off to finally tackle the spring cleaning around here. I have a list a mile long, but it just hasn't been spring-y enough to get into the mood.

Well, that's pretty much it for now. I should be able to dedicate more time catching up, both on my reading and on my posting. Hopefully not too many of my long-time readers have given up on me!