The Journey Begins!

Short post today as I am still very dizzy and on some pretty good pain killers. The surgery went well, except for my thick skull which took a little longer than usual for them to drill through! My face is swollen and my taste buds don't work on half my tongue but hopefully that will go away soon. Thanks for all the prayers, please keep them coming our way. I think I will inch my way back to bed now and rest my weary, swollen head!

50th Post- Big Day Tomorrow!

Hard to believe this is my 50th post but it is! Hope this finds all of you enjoying a post Christmas glow! Christmas was fast and furious as always. We were all sick at various times over the last week or 10 days but hopefully all on the road to recovery now.

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY! I am scheduled to be at the hospital tomorrow at 7:30 am to check in and do lab work and surgery is scheduled for 10:30. I just finished up a round of antibiotics and still have a little bit of a cough but hopefully it will not be enough to delay the surgery, the anaestesiologist(spelled wrong, I am sure) will decide that after examining me in the morning. So please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray specifically that I can have the surgery tomorrow as planned, that the doctors will all be healthy and alert and God will guide their hands and that the proceedure will be a success.

We appreciate all the love and support we have recieved so far. Give me a couple of days to get over the proceedure and the headache that will likely accompany it and I will blog again as soon as I feel up to climbing the stairs to the computer. Happy New Years!

Finally some answers!

I am scheduled for my Cochlear Implant on the 29th of December. They are going to go with Advanced Bionics and I will go pick out my processor this thursday. It is supposed to be day surgery and I will go home that evening. When I have my appt with the audiologist to pick out the processor, I will probably get more answers to my questions, I like the audiologist, she is very personable. According to the office staff at the doctors office, the insurance has approved the surgery and there will be no out of pocket expense for us. Cool! This is going to mess up our Christmas Plans a bit but what a great after Christmas gift for me. What a great era we live in! I feel very blessed.

CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? under the tree

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have two trees, one with white lights and mostly angel decorations and then a smaller tree upstairs with multi colored lights and all kinds of ornaments. Outside we have both white and colored ( I was not consulted! but not complaining because I did not have to hang the lights!)

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope, no parasites in the house!

5. When do you put your decorations up? Whenever we find the time, usually drawn out over several days (sometimes weeks)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? "Honey Baked Ham" ( but too expensive so we get it from costco or Sam's instead of the Honey Baked Co) Broccoli, Cheese Rice Casserole is a close second! Yum!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Just spending time with family and all the good food.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? "What Truth about Santa?"

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always opened gifts in my family on Christmas eve. Christmas day was all about Santa and what "he" brought. Hubby grew up with opening gifts on Christmas day. So it depends on who is spending Christmas with us but we always open at least one present on Christmas Eve ( usually new PJ's and a book for little K)

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Granny's Cherry Cookies and Milk

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! but rarely get it in TX. We saw a lot of it when we lived in Va.

12. Can you ice skate? No, unless you count sliding around the ice on one's butt!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Not as a child but getting Family Bible as an adult was very special!.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with family, giving to the Angel tree (fun to buy presents for little one's who need it)

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? My Mom's (aka Granny) Cherry Cookies and Pumpkin Bread

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? A few years ago we got a stuffed cowboy Santa and we named him Stinky Pete (after Toy Story) and Stinky Pete is a sneaky guy. At night time he roams the house and we find him in very unusual places. It is fun to wake up and try to figure out where he is!

17. What tops your tree? An Angel
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18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Giving Although I am not opposed to recieving at all!.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? Shepherds We Have Heard On High

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yummy in moderation but oh so sticky!

Patience Is Not My Strong Suit!

Here it is Monday afternoon and I am still waiting on Dr. office to call with surgery schedule for Cochlear Implant. The Dr. said I would know something Thursday afternoon. No call, so I called Friday Morning, staff says Dr. is in surgery, office closes at 1 pm, will call Monday morning. I called again this morning and they apologize and assure me someone will be calling today. Meanwhile, all Christmas plans are on hold waiting for them to let me know if this will be done this year (Dr. said this year!) or if it will be in Jan. Both sides of the family and even extended family are waiting anxiously to know when the surgery is scheduled and can we keep all the Christmas plans we have made. At this point, I really don't mind (too much) waiting until January for the surgery, I just need an answer, so I don't finalize all our Christmas plans only to have to change them again. Lord grant me patience, but do it now!

Yahoo!

After a long, long day of CT scans and tests and waiting (lots of waiting) I have been approved for a Cochlear Implant. It is possible they may do it before the end of the year. This is moving fast. I am excited and nervous at the same time. More news later. Thankyou to all who prayed for me. Thanks to God for making it all possible!

ENT visit

The ENT visit on friday was long and complicated. They did a hearing test and then the Dr. spent over an hour talking and examining me. He does not know what is causing the dizziness but feels I would be a good candidate for a cochlear implant. So today, I went and did a 3 hour balance test, not fun but not painful either. On Thursday, I will have a CT of my ears to rule out any abnormalities which might make the implantation impossible. Then I take the films to the Dr. and I undergo a 1 1/2 hour evaluation for the implant. It is mostly a test to see how much I can understand using hearing aids. Then after that I will meet with Dr. Krueger to see if I "pass" and if I can have the implant. My sweet husband is going to take the day off and go with me. That way he can ask the Dr. any questions he might have and also be my extra pair of ears. It is an exciting time but also a bit nerve racking. Please pray for me that all will go well and that I will qualify for this proceedure. The Dr. on friday seemed very upbear about the implant. He kept saying you are going to be amazed at how well you can hear after this. So it sounds like he feels I will qualify for it. The level of hearing that the doctor indicated that I would achieve with the implant far surpasses anything I have been able to get using the hearing aids.

Makes You Wonder!

Yesterday I saw this headline "Eminem Impersonator faces life in prison", makes you wonder what the punishment is for actually BEING EMINEM!!!!! I know I don't want to find out! Have A Great Day!