MRI and My Happy Place

Today, I have written my 100th post. Yay! I was planning on doing the ever-so-popular post, "100 Things About Me". However, I am too lazy, and busy, to write that post right now. Sorry friends. Maybe some other time.

Instead, I will tell you all about my experience having an MRI on my brain this morning.

I spoke with several people about their experience having an MRI, and they were all different. My sister had one on her back not too long ago, but her hospital has an "open" MRI machine, and our hospital does not.

I talked to a girl at our church who had one done recently at our hospital, and it was on her brain. She had to have an IV, so I wondered if I would have to have one also. If you are a new reader, or have just forgotten (although, I don't see HOW that would be possible!), you can read here about my last experience with an IV when I went in for a heart cath. If you are reading it for the first time, you may want to be sure you are sitting down. Good times...

I tried not to think too much about what was going to happen, and just figured that if I did have to have an IV for the MRI, I would just deal with it then. I was not going to worry about it, because there wasn't anything I could do about it anyway!

So, Hubs took me to the hospital bright and early this morning. I was able to wear my own clothes, I just couldn't wear anything with metal in it. I signed a paper saying that I did not have any metal devices implanted in my body (one of the items listed was an eyelid spring.... OUCH!) and that I had removed all jewelry, including any body piercings. Fortunately for me, I have not jumped on the "let's pierce strange parts of my body" band-wagon, so other than my single set of earrings that I had left at home, there was nothing to remove. I also had to say whether I was claustrophobic or not.

While I do feel a little claustrophobic thinking about being inside of a small tube (who wouldn't?!) I can safely ride in an elevator, or in an airplane without freaking out, so I said that I was not claustrophobic.  I have also been inside of a tanning bed in years past, and I was okay with that, but you are able to open that if you want to, so that is not quite the same thing.

They made me lie down on this very skinny table, and place my head in a certain area. I was going to have a plastic "cage" like thing on my head, and I knew that would sort of freak me out if I saw it going on, so I asked for a cloth to cover my eyes.

They placed a wedge pillow under my knees, which helped make it more comfortable for me to lie flat on my back.

They gave me a bulb I could squeeze if I needed them for any reason. That made me feel better, knowing that if I did start to panic, I would be taken out.

They also gave me gigantic headphones so I could listen to music while the machine was going off. She assured me that I would still hear the machine, as it was VERY loud, but it would help muffle the sound a little.

I asked her if the air would be "stuffy" inside the tube, and she said that it wouldn't be, that there is a fan that blows a cool breeze over you. It also was not dark inside the tube like I thought it would be, which certainly helps make it better.

When it was time to start, I had the cloth over my eyes so I couldn't see as I was being slid into the tube. I could feel the sides of my arms hitting the tube, and she told me that they might. It was rather tight in there. Since I was having the scan done on my brain, I only had to be in up to my waist. My legs were not inside at all.

She was right. The machine was VERY loud. She would talk to me during the scan, and tell me how long each test would be. This way, I knew exactly how long I had to be absolutely still each time. She had also told me ahead of time that the entire scan would take about a 1/2 hour, so as she told me each time, I could kind of keep track of how long I had been in there.

The noises sounded like loud beeps and jack hammers going off. The beeps were kind of similar to a child's annoying, noisy toy that you couldn't shut off. The last test shook me around a bit, and was the loudest, but the shortest of them all.

During the time I was in there, I did start to feel just a little panicky, thinking about how I was inside a tube, and I couldn't sit up. I went to my "happy place" and prayed, and concentrated on listening to the soft music, and I was able to make it through.

Just so you know, my happy place is as follows: I am at the beach, sitting on a rock, and I am watching the ocean. The waves are crashing against the rocks, and I can hear seagulls in the distance. The sun is shining on me, and the sky is incredibly blue. There are palm trees in my happy place, so it's like a combination of Florida and Maine, which are my two favorite places. Feel free to use my happy place if you want to the next time you need one. I promise I won't mind :)

It really was just a 1/2 hour like she said, and I did not have to have an IV. Much better than I thought it would be!

Hubs had to wait in the waiting room, as he couldn't come back with me. As I entered the waiting room, he said, "Are you done already?" He had gotten into a game on his phone, and wasn't quite ready to leave yet. Ha!

Now, the waiting begins to get my test results.

Can I just stay in my happy place until then?

We Bought A Zoo

Since Hubs was away on business....again....the girls and I decided to have a GNI: girls night in. My youngest came up with that one.

Yesterday was so extremely busy, running here, there, and everywhere, that by the time we got to actually watch the movie, it was after 10 p.m. On a school night.

I happen to know that their teacher can be rather lenient with school start times, as long as the students promise to get all their work done before they go to bed. Usually, we follow a pretty strict schedule, but there are times when we deviate from the plan. Reason #137 on the list of why we love homeschooling.

We decided to watch, "We Bought A Zoo," starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. It is a movie based on a true story, about a single father who buys a struggling zoo, in order to give his family a fresh start.

My oldest daughter said she hoped it wasn't cheesy. Some of those types of movies are. Of course, it DID have Matt Damon in it, so even if it was boring, it would still be worth watching, in my opinion! Those mesmerizing blue eyes...

Where was I...

Oh, yes! We absolutely loved this movie! It wasn't "draggy" at all, and was funny, and yet sweet at the same time. It was sad at times, and had all of us girls wiping our eyes a bit. The perfect combination in a movie!

The only problem was there was a bit of swearing in it, which was totally unnecessary. Why must they include foul language in a movie that is geared towards kids? I just don't get it. It would have been even better if I didn't have to wonder what "word" would be featured next! My youngest daughter, who is ever so observant, even pointed this out. I thought it really was a bit much for a movie rated PG. It did, however, lead to a conversation about how I had better NEVER hear any of those words come out of her little mouth. So, I guess you could say it was a teaching moment.

I highly recommend this movie! I actually would not mind watching it again, which is not something I say very often. Usually once is plenty, and sometimes, I can't even bear to finish the movie at all.

For example, "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer". We turned that one off half-way through. Even my nine year old thought it was too lame to waste any more of our precious time watching it.

Some of my favorite quotes from "We Bought A Zoo":

Benjamin: Hey Rosie, am I doing anything right?
Rosie: You're handsomer than the other dads. Lots of them don't have hair. So that's good.

Benjamin: You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

Duncan: I like the animals, but I love the humans.

Well said, Duncan.

Well said...

Becoming A Joiner

This past weekend, I did something I thought I would never do.

I joined Weight Watchers.

I have finally decided to get some outside help with my battle to lose weight. I have been able to lose a little bit of weight on my own, with watching what I eat and walking, but I want to do better. I want to lose weight, but I also just want to be healthier.

Hubs has tried to help me, but I'll let you in on a little secret.

I don't want his help.

There, I said it.

This is kind of frustrating for him, as he is a fixer, and sincerely wants to help me when I complain how I want/need to lose weight.

He is the one person that I do NOT want to help me lose weight. Why is that?

Well...in my case, when he tries to help me, it just feels (to me) like he is being critical, even though he assures me he's not.  To me, your husband should be the one person in your life who loves you unconditionally, regardless of what you weigh. Can I get an amen?

I need someone to help keep me accountable who I am not that close to.

And, that is why I decided to join.

I have watched Jennifer Hudson sing the praises of Weight Watchers on commercials, and was mildly interested. It did not make me want to join though. After all, she is a celebrity. She has personal trainers and a chef that will make her any food that her little heart desires.

I did not even think about attending a meeting until I was talking with a friend, and asked her what she was doing to lose weight. She mentioned that she was doing Weight Watchers, and that she has lost over 30 lbs. This is a fellow busy mom, with a hectic schedule, just like me. No personal trainer. No chef at her beck and call. 

She told me that another one of our friends was doing it also. She explained that I could attend a meeting for free, just to see if it would be something I thought would work for me. So, I went.

Now, these meetings are on Saturday morning, at 8:30. I am NOT a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. I am also not really a joiner, and I hate meetings. Ha!

I knew that unless this meeting was good, I would not want to sacrifice my sleep to attend in the future.

So, I went to my first meeting this past Saturday morning. The room was packed out! There were ladies of all ages, and all sizes. Although Weight Watchers is also a program for men, I did not see any men in attendance.

Here's a tip: If you are a single man, and you are looking for a woman, forget the club scene. Just join Weight Watchers ;)

At the beginning of the meeting, if you are a member, you start out by weighing in. I had always thought that they had a scale in the front of the room, and each person took turns stepping on it, and announcing to the room how much weight they had lost or gained, like on "Biggest Loser". It is nothing like that!

They do have a scale, but it is not in the front of the room. It is in the back, and only one person actually sees what you weigh. There is even a line that members have to stand behind, just to be sure that your weigh in is personal. Your weight is recorded in a little booklet, and it is not announced. What a relief!

Then, the actual meeting begins. At this particular meeting, the leader shared tips for eating out at a restaurant. She was very interesting, and I wasn't bored in the least. She talked about different scenarios, and what you could do to make the best choices while dining out. You were encouraged to share if you wanted to, but you certainly weren't forced. You didn't have to introduce yourself, and tell your "story" (Hello....my name is Amiee, and I love chocolate!) You could be as involved, or not involved, as you wanted to be.

After attending that meeting, and hearing about how others were being successful in their weight loss journey, I decided to join.

I have been doing it for several days, and while it IS hard, it is definitely easier than doing it alone. Each food is assigned a "point" value, and only points are added up, not calories. I tried counting calories, and it was just too difficult. With their new PointsPlus program, all fruit, and most veggies, are "0" points, which means you can eat as many of them as you want! That way, you will never be overly hungry.

My problem is I am not such a lover of most vegetables, and I rarely choose fruit if given other options. That is something I need to work on, and Weight Watchers can help.

With my membership, I can go to meetings, but I also have computer access to the members only site. I can use eTools on my computer, and on my smartphone, to quickly track all the points that I am eating. If the food I am looking for is not on their extensive list, I can just push in some simple information, and it will calculate the points for me. If you don't have a smartphone, you can buy one of their special calculators, which will do the same thing for you. It's very easy.

It is amazing to me how many points are in many of the foods that I eat! They started me out with 31 points, which seems like a lot, but when you start figuring out how many points things are that you are eating, you quickly realize you need to make smarter choices about what you are putting in your mouth.

For breakfast, I usually eat homemade granola with milk. I don't normally measure anything, just pour some in the bowl, and eat. Now, I realize that I can have a 1/2 cup, with 1 cup of 2% milk, and I am already up to 9 points. Wow. Coffee with cream and sugar substitute is one more point. So, just for breakfast, I have used up 10 of my daily points!

If I used fat-free milk, it would be 2 points instead of 3, but for now, it is just not worth it to me to switch. I like the way 2% milk tastes. I'm thinking of adding just a little bit of water to it every day, until I get used to the taste of more watered down milk. We'll see.

You are given an additional 49 points a week, to use for treats/special occasions. By exercising, you also "earn" more points that you can exchange for food. It all depends on how quickly you want to lose weight what choices you make. You can use those extra points for food, but you need to be aware that you will lose weight slower than someone who is not using them.

Could I do this on my own, and save the $42.95 a month fee? Sure. Have I been successful doing this on my own? No. To me, it is worth the money to give it a try. I am not locked in to a certain time frame. If I decide that this is just not working for me, I can get out at any time. I did not have to sign a contract agreeing to commit for a year. Just one month.

Every week, I will try to update you on my progress, and share some helpful tips that I have learned along the way.

For now, I am reminding myself that slow progress is STILL progress.

And that apples are my new best friends...

Our Story... Part 3

Y'all, it has been SO long since I have updated my blog, that Blogger has now changed their format. It took me a while to figure out how to even write a new post!

Technology....I have a love/hate relationship with you.

I did already write Part 3 a few weeks ago, but Blogger was having some bloggy issues. So....when I saved my work, and refreshed the page (because it was being weird) it totally erased all of my hard work, that I had spent over an hour writing!

Because of that, I am so over telling this whole story, but I realize that I have left all of you hanging, so I must finish it. Although, as one astute reader pointed out, since Hubs and I have been married now for 18 blessed years, you DO know the end of the story. Ha!

So, I am going to give you Part 3: The nutshell version. You know, like when there is a long story, but people say, "in a nutshell". Not sure where that saying came from. Must....Google....

Let's see....we left off our story where I had told Hubs those three fateful words that can never be taken back once spoken, and he said....nothing.

He still decided to come and visit me and my family over Christmas Break.

I can't remember all of the details now, but he did end up telling me why he didn't say "I love you" back.

He told me that the reason why he didn't say anything is because he had promised himself that he would not say "I love you" to someone unless he TRULY meant it. In the past, he had said this to girls, and he didn't really mean it. What can I say, he was a ladies man.

Maybe that is why God decided to give him all girls :)

He did end up telling me he loved me eventually, and we started a long-distance relationship. We really got to know each other through letters. We would write each other several times a week. We didn't have Skype back then, or email. Neither of us even owned a computer! I sometimes wonder how our relationship would have been different if we had.

Long distance calls were expensive, so we tried to limit our calls to once a week. We didn't have unlimited calling, so our bills were pretty expensive. I think we kept the phone company in business!

He would come up and visit me every so often. One time in particular stands out, as he surprised me by showing up at my work, when I didn't even know he was coming! Best surprise ever.

My family loved him, but better than that, my Dad loved him. Let me tell you, that was a minor miracle, because my Dad always had a problem with every guy I ever dated.

After six months, Hubs decided to move to where I lived. In order to move, he had to give away his beloved dog, Obie. Obie was a Rottweiler, and most landlords do not take kindly to renting to people who have Rottweilers. If I ever doubt that he loves me, I just remember that he gave up his dog for me! Aww ♥

He found a job, and long story short, we ended up eventually getting married.

And we lived happily ever after...

Our Story....Part 2

*If you missed part 1, you can read it here.

When I had decided that I would not be coming back to school after Christmas break, I had NO idea that I was going to be reunited with Hubs. If I had, I am sure that I would have decided differently! Even though I didn't like going to school there after all, and I couldn't really afford to continue going there, getting to see Hubs all the time would have been well worth it!

However, I had already decided to move back home (although while I was away, my parents had moved back to the town I grew up in) and get a job, as I didn't feel that this college thing was for me. I was now on much better terms with my parents, and I missed my family terribly. Living ten hours away from them had gotten old fast.

So, I told Hubs that I was going to be leaving Virginia shortly, and that I would not be coming back. We agreed that we didn't really know where this was going to go, but that we would just enjoy the ride.

During those two weeks, I got to know Hubs in a totally different way. When I had known him before, he was not a Christian. Sure, he went to the same Bible study as I did, but that was all. Now, he had committed his life to the Lord, and was following Him with his whole heart.

I could see the change in him, and I liked what I saw.

He took me to his church, and introduced me to his friends. I got to know his family. Hubs and I spent every spare minute that we could together. He would drive almost an hour, each way, just so he could see me.

I really grew to love Hubs (well, as much as one can in two weeks time!) and decided that I would tell him that.

He had decided that he would come and visit me and my family over some of the Christmas break, and stay until after the new year.

As we were saying goodbye for the last time in Virginia, I hugged him, and I said those three words that are the scariest words in the English language to say to someone. I said, "I love you".

Do you know what Hubs said to me?

Absolutely nothing.

Nothing! I was NOT expecting that! I seriously thought that he was feeling the same way. I thought that he would say, "I love you too", and we would both feel all mushy gushy and lovey-dovey towards each other.

Instead, there was a long pause, where the only sound I could hear was the wild beating of my own heart.

Can you say, awkward?

Well, after that, I really had no idea what to expect from this so-called "relationship" that I thought we were in. I fought back tears, and told him goodbye. I was mentally kicking myself. I had just said "I love you" to a person who did not say it back! Why, oh WHY did I think I should say it first? I should have waited for him to say it to me! That would have been a sure thing.

I was sure that I had just ruined everything by saying I love you too soon. He was probably headed for the hills, and I would never hear from him again.

Yes, I realize that it may have been a tad bit early in our relationship to say I love you, but I am not a person that likes to beat around the bush. I pretty much wear my heart on my sleeve, and I really thought I was getting all the right vibes that he just might love me too.

I packed my stuff, and headed for home.

I was now pretty sure that either:

1. He wanted to take it s-l-o-w

2. He wanted to be "just friends"

If option #2 was more what he had in mind, I wasn't sure that I would be able to do it.

This was one guy I didn't want as just a friend...

Spring Is In The Air Hodgepodge

1. The first day of spring is here...do you enjoy working in the yard? Weeding, raking, mowing, planting-your favorite springtime garden chore? How about your least favorite?

I enjoy working in the yard....sometimes.

My favorite garden chore is watering the plants. Although, if it was totally left up to me, our plants would probably die. I am not that great about remembering to water them.

Thankfully, I married someone who loves working outside, and takes great pride in our yard. I never have to beg him to mow the grass, and he wouldn't even dream of letting the grass grow so tall that it goes to "seed".

My least favorite thing? Weeding.



2. What puts a spring in your step?

When I have something exciting that I am working on, usually some sort of project. I am always an eager starter to something, but when it ceases to be fun, my spring has sprung. Ha!

3. Describe a time when you had to spring into action?

Any time that one of my girls has been in some sort of trouble. Like, when my oldest started choking on a pretzel. Or, when my middle daughter had her forehead gashed open. Or, when my youngest had a seizure when her fever spiked too high.


4. We're having carrots for dinner...would you prefer yours raw or cooked?

I like my carrots raw, dipped in ranch dressing.

5. Do you take the shampoos and other sundries from your hotel room when its time to check out?

I take them, but not for myself. I never use those things, unless I have forgotten my own from home. I take them for Hubs. He is not picky, and will use anything.

6. What's the most enjoyable team or club you've belonged to and what was it that made it so?

It's not really a team or a club, but we belong to a local homeschool co-op. It allows the girls to be able to hang out with other homeschool kids, and be involved in some fun classes.

I enjoy it because I have been able to meet some other Moms that are in the same boat as I am. I have developed some deep friendships, and have been given encouragement just when I have needed it most.


7. Is cloning a sign of progress?

Yes, but I don't think that it is a good idea.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I promised in a previous hodgepodge, that in March, I would share how Hubs and I met, and ended up getting married. It's kind of a long story, so I am writing it in parts. Want to read the first part? Go here.

Our Story

First of all, let me tell you that we made it home safely from Florida. My lack of posting does not mean that we are dead in a ditch somewhere. My lack of posting is simply because of the sheer fact that this Mama is just feeling a little overwhelmed!

However, today is a VERY special day, and therefore, a post is in order!

Today, Hubs and I are celebrating our 18th anniversary. Now, when I say that today we are celebrating, this does not mean that we are actually "celebrating". We are not even in the same town for our anniversary! Hubs is having a very romantic dinner with another man from his company as we speak. Ha! Just kidding. It is strictly a business thing.

We did get to go out and celebrate our anniversary this past weekend. It's still kind of a bummer to not have Hubs around on our special day, but whatcha gonna do. It is what it is.

Anyway, in a previous post, I promised that, in March, I would tell you all how Hubs and I met, fell in love, and got married. So, here we go...

I was fifteen years old at the time. My family and I lived in Maine, and we attended a Bible study at a friend's house. We had been attending this Bible study for a little while, when Hubs started coming. It was kind of strange that he started attending, because this Bible study was being held at his friend's house, but his friend did not attend. For some reason, Hubs wanted to attend.

So, we got to know each other on a friend basis. I thought Hubs was the best thing since sliced bread, but since he was three years older than I was, he just thought of me as a nice kid, who had a nice family that he liked to hang out with.

Hubs' parents are divorced, and he did not grow up with his Dad. After he graduated from high school, Hubs decided that he wanted to move down to Virginia so he could be near his Dad and get to know him better.

I was pretty sure that I would probably never see him again.

But, God had other plans.

Fast forward almost four years....

I was nineteen years old, and I was attending Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Here is a picture of me in college. Try not to be jealous of the hair.

I had decided to go there because I knew a friend who attended there, and it seemed like a great school. It was also a fair distance away from my family, and at that time in my life, that sounded like a good idea.

It was Dec. 5th, and I was attending a basketball game with my roommates.

It was half-time, and we were up walking around, stretching our legs. As I was walking around, I saw this guy who I thought looked a lot like Hubs.

I thought about going up to him and asking him if he remembered me, but I was trying to talk myself out of it. It just sounded too....I don't know. Just not me.

However, I decided that I would do it. What could it hurt?

So, I went up to him, and asked him if he was, indeed, the boy I knew from Maine. I called him by his nickname. He just looked at me with the strangest expression on his face! Remember, the last time I had seen him, I was a fifteen year old "kid". Now, I was nineteen.... and no longer a kid.

Ahem.

I told him who I was, and asked him if he remembered me.

He told me that he did, and asked WHAT I was doing HERE?

I told him that I went to school here, and was watching the basketball game. He mentioned that he lived about an hour away in a neighboring town. He was there with his Dad, and he just so happened to have an extra seat next to him. He asked me if I wanted to come and sit with him so we could catch up on what had been going on in our lives the past few years.

Just the fact that he had an extra seat next to him was a minor miracle, because that place was PACKED.

I told my roommate that I was going to go and sit with him, and we spent the next half of the game catching up.

We do not consider our meeting again a mere coincidence. We believe that it was God who brought us back into each other's lives.

His Dad invited me over to their house, and I gladly accepted.

While I was at their house, the funniest thing happened to me. I had to use the bathroom, and while I was sitting there on the toilet, one of the bathroom drawers mysteriously OPENED UP and a tiny little furry head POPPED out at me! I screamed and got out of there as FAST as I could! All I could think of was that it was a mouse!

Do you know what it was?

It was their pet ferret, Bandit. Apparently, Bandit liked to hide in the bathroom drawers, and scare the heck out of unsuspecting house guests. Mission accomplished, Bandit! The whole family got a big laugh out of it, and it is brought up often to this day. I will never be able to live that one down. Sigh.

Anyway, Hubs drove me home that night, and invited me to church with him the next morning. I went back to my room that night, and called up my parents. I told my Mom that she was NEVER going to believe who I was going to church with in the morning! She couldn't believe it, and said that she thought that he was engaged, as that is what we had heard through the grapevine. I happily told her that, NO, he was not :)

So, Hubs and I saw each other as much as we could during the next two weeks. Why only two weeks? Because, I was leaving school for Christmas break.....and I was not coming back.

To be continued....