Small prelude: when chickens go broody, they stay on the nest all day and night, and leave it once a day to eat and poop...consequently the poop is a MASSIVE one. Now on to the story...
I have been seeing a massive poop on my back porch for about 2 weeks now, which means a chicken has gone broody OUTSIDE of the coop (a couple of them have figured out how to fly-climb out of the coop, using wood struts to get them over).
Now, I do NOT need more chicks, so, I have searched the entire yard trying to find this darn hen and her eggs--around the fence line where the grass is tall, behind the wood pile, under the redwood trees on the far edge of the lawn...NOTHING.
So, today when I actually saw her on the porch, I decided to follow her...do you know how boring it is waiting for a chicken to return to her nest? I'm sure she figured out I was watching, so she took her own sweet time (and mine!) returning.
I had just about given up because she walked to the FRONT porch (our
yard is weird) and was walking around there, with no signs that she was gonna go out and get on her nest...she started nosing (or would that be beaking?) around under the trailing edges of a planter MASSIVELY overgrown with mint...suddenly, she disappeared!
I spread the mint plant apart, and there in the center, lo and behold, the chicken!
And about 20 eggs!!!!
So she's had her nest right on the front porch THIS WHOLE TIME, and here I am, searching all the far corners of the yard [thunks head]!
I can't pull the eggs, since they're gonna hatch any day now...not counting
my chickens before they hatch, but I am now waitng for about a dozen and a half chicks to be running around the yard...
Anyone want a chick or two?
Note to self: Next time, search closer!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
More on the Shakiness
One thing about this shakiness: it feels like my whole nervous system, not just my hands...it manifests itself in my hands, but it's kind of like if you whack a stick in the middle, the vibrations go all the way down, and increase as they reach the ends...
This, combined with the dizziness, is really making me want to cut. I'm reining the urge in as hard as I can, though, because I know EVERYONE around me will freak, and probably take me off the steroids immediately. But...
nnnnn... cutting... control...
nope, nope, nothing to see here, I didn't say this, didn't happen, nope nope nope...
This, combined with the dizziness, is really making me want to cut. I'm reining the urge in as hard as I can, though, because I know EVERYONE around me will freak, and probably take me off the steroids immediately. But...
nnnnn... cutting... control...
nope, nope, nothing to see here, I didn't say this, didn't happen, nope nope nope...
Baby cornsnakes!
Woo!
11 little spaghetti strings...several already all hissing and striking, as if they were real snakes, heh.
11 little spaghetti strings...several already all hissing and striking, as if they were real snakes, heh.
Dizzy
Okay, this dizziness is really driving me crazy. I know I *just* complained about it a few days ago, but considering how bad it's gotten, it bears repeating.
DIZZY DIZZY
DIZZY
~.,~-"`~
DIZZY
DIZZY
DI Z Z Y D I Z z Y d i Z ZZ Y
DIZZY DIZZY
DIZZY
~.,~-"`~
DIZZY
DIZZY
DI Z Z Y D I Z z Y d i Z ZZ Y
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Side Effects
Well, I've been on the budosenide for 3 weeks now, and things are not really getting better...the side effects of the steroids are *almost* overwhelming (if they were overwhelming, then I'd get off of them pronto...):
The shaky hands thing is what's really getting to me--that, and the dizziness/short of breath/if you stand up or move too fast you are going to pass out...
Shaky hands make for difficult typing. I find I have to curl my fingers under and use my knuckles for control when I am trying to use my trackball...
Dizziness makes for scary moments of the Oh-shit-I-am-going-to-pass-out variety. I find I either have to sit down abruptly (which really sucks when you're in the chicken coop!) or lean on something until the wave passes and I can move (SLOWLY!) again.
Short of breath is scary because I don't really seem to be doing all that much when I start having to gasp for air. Just talking on the phone or carrying in a load of laundry is enough to do it--I can't lift ANYTHING and this has added more reasons to why I don't drive anywhere.
Actually, the shakiness isn't just in my hands--it seems to be stemming practically from my spine and going down all my limbs. Can you say "NOT FUN!!!"?
The worst part of all this? My UC does not seem to be getting better. I'm still experiencing the urgency, the frequency, and the PAIN. I've had friends say, "Why don't you just wear Depends or something when you go out, instead of staying at home?"
Well, we're not talking about a tiny amount, here, and we're not talking about solids. I am not about to go somewhere and risk having an accident, Depends or not! Just HOW would I clean myself up in a public restroom? I can't exactly stand at the sink in my altogether, washing myself down... I would much rather stay home, near my own private facilities, thank you. Even visiting friends is scary, because what if I have to use their bathroom? It's not like a wave hits and is over--sometimes it's 10 minutes of pain and blood and spasms...then yeah, I want to go out and talk more with someone after that, right.
Frankly all I want to do after an episode is curl up into a little ball and cry...and at home, I feel free to do that.
This weekend should be interesting, since we are going to try to go to a Crohn's-Colitis Patient/Family Symposium in Sacramento on Saturday: 2 hour drive, 6 hour event, 2 hour drive back. I dunno about this...but if anyone is going to be understanding, it'll be this group of people.
Sigh.
The shaky hands thing is what's really getting to me--that, and the dizziness/short of breath/if you stand up or move too fast you are going to pass out...
Shaky hands make for difficult typing. I find I have to curl my fingers under and use my knuckles for control when I am trying to use my trackball...
Dizziness makes for scary moments of the Oh-shit-I-am-going-to-pass-out variety. I find I either have to sit down abruptly (which really sucks when you're in the chicken coop!) or lean on something until the wave passes and I can move (SLOWLY!) again.
Short of breath is scary because I don't really seem to be doing all that much when I start having to gasp for air. Just talking on the phone or carrying in a load of laundry is enough to do it--I can't lift ANYTHING and this has added more reasons to why I don't drive anywhere.
Actually, the shakiness isn't just in my hands--it seems to be stemming practically from my spine and going down all my limbs. Can you say "NOT FUN!!!"?
The worst part of all this? My UC does not seem to be getting better. I'm still experiencing the urgency, the frequency, and the PAIN. I've had friends say, "Why don't you just wear Depends or something when you go out, instead of staying at home?"
Well, we're not talking about a tiny amount, here, and we're not talking about solids. I am not about to go somewhere and risk having an accident, Depends or not! Just HOW would I clean myself up in a public restroom? I can't exactly stand at the sink in my altogether, washing myself down... I would much rather stay home, near my own private facilities, thank you. Even visiting friends is scary, because what if I have to use their bathroom? It's not like a wave hits and is over--sometimes it's 10 minutes of pain and blood and spasms...then yeah, I want to go out and talk more with someone after that, right.
Frankly all I want to do after an episode is curl up into a little ball and cry...and at home, I feel free to do that.
This weekend should be interesting, since we are going to try to go to a Crohn's-Colitis Patient/Family Symposium in Sacramento on Saturday: 2 hour drive, 6 hour event, 2 hour drive back. I dunno about this...but if anyone is going to be understanding, it'll be this group of people.
Sigh.
ARRRGH--Broody chicken!
(small prelude: Some of you know this--when chickens go broody, they stay on the nest all day and night, and leave it once a day to eat and poop...consequently the poop is a MASSIVE one. Now on to the story.)
I have been seeing a massive poop on my back porch for about 2 weeks now, which means a chicken has gone broody OUTSIDE of the coop (a couple of htem have figured out how to fly-climb out of the coop, using wood struts to get htem over).
Now, I do NOT need more chicks, so I have searched the entire yard trying to find this darn hen and her eggs--around the fence line where the grass is tall, behind the wood pile, under the redwood trees on the far edge of the lawn...NOTHING.
So, today when I actually saw her on the porch, I decided to follow her...do you know how boring it is waiting for a chicken to return to her nest? I'm sure she figured out I was watching, so she took her own sweet time (and mine!) returning.
I had just about given up because she walked to the FRONT porch (our yard is weird) and was walking around there, with no signs that she was gonna go out and get on her nest...she started nosing (or would that be beaking?) around under the trailing edges of a planter MASSIVELY overgrown with mint...suddenly, she disappeared!
I spread the mint plant apart, and there in the center, lo and behold, a chicken!
And about 20 eggs!!!!
So she's had her nest right on the front porch THIS WHOLE TIME, and here I am, searching all the far corners of the yard [thunks head]!
It's a little much to hope that the eggs will hatch in time for me to bring chicks to the potluck, sigh.
Note to self: Next time search closer.
Second note to self: Trim mint and bring to potluck. Heh. Mint tea anyone?
-cobalt
I have been seeing a massive poop on my back porch for about 2 weeks now, which means a chicken has gone broody OUTSIDE of the coop (a couple of htem have figured out how to fly-climb out of the coop, using wood struts to get htem over).
Now, I do NOT need more chicks, so I have searched the entire yard trying to find this darn hen and her eggs--around the fence line where the grass is tall, behind the wood pile, under the redwood trees on the far edge of the lawn...NOTHING.
So, today when I actually saw her on the porch, I decided to follow her...do you know how boring it is waiting for a chicken to return to her nest? I'm sure she figured out I was watching, so she took her own sweet time (and mine!) returning.
I had just about given up because she walked to the FRONT porch (our yard is weird) and was walking around there, with no signs that she was gonna go out and get on her nest...she started nosing (or would that be beaking?) around under the trailing edges of a planter MASSIVELY overgrown with mint...suddenly, she disappeared!
I spread the mint plant apart, and there in the center, lo and behold, a chicken!
And about 20 eggs!!!!
So she's had her nest right on the front porch THIS WHOLE TIME, and here I am, searching all the far corners of the yard [thunks head]!
It's a little much to hope that the eggs will hatch in time for me to bring chicks to the potluck, sigh.
Note to self: Next time search closer.
Second note to self: Trim mint and bring to potluck. Heh. Mint tea anyone?
-cobalt
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Momma's home.
I just talked to her about 2 hours ago--she's back in her nest, with a new medication, and a horde of small dogs that are so happy she's back in her nest. :-)
Apparently it wasn't a stroke--it was a TIA, or transient ischemic attack. A TIA "is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply" which sounds really damn scary, but it doesn't do as much damage as a full-on stroke. http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/index.htm
So she's quitting smoking...YAY!
whew.
Apparently it wasn't a stroke--it was a TIA, or transient ischemic attack. A TIA "is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply" which sounds really damn scary, but it doesn't do as much damage as a full-on stroke. http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/index.htm
So she's quitting smoking...YAY!
whew.
Friday, June 1, 2007
I just talked to my Mom...
And she sounds good. A little teeny bit slurry, but she said that she was actually able to eat with her right hand...she wants to go home tomorrow (of course!) but the drs will probably keep her for a few days.
It was amazingly hard to get her to talk about what happened--she kept asking me about ME and how I am doing!
I asked another question about how she was every time she tried to get the conversation onto me, and FINALLY she told me about what happened.
What she described was a lot worse than Amber had made it seem--Momma said she was curling her hair when she got dizzy...when she tried to walk into the bedroom, she couldn't get her body to walk straight but instead kept peeling off to the left.
When she reached the bed, she couldn't climb in, but kind of fell in instead. Amber just happened to call at that time, thank goodness, and when momma reached for the phnoe, she couldn't push the on button with her right hand. She said she could see the button, and see her hand, but she couldn't get her hand over to the button.
Scary.
When I mentioned that TTK wanted us to fly down immediately, she told me "Absolutely not. There's no need."
I agreed, saying that I would rather come down and see her when she was NOT in the hospital.
She got to have an MRI, which I told her is like "Having a band play african drum rhythms on the outside of a trash can--while your head is IN the trash can."
That got a laugh. :-)
I am going to call amber tomorrow and get an update.
It was amazingly hard to get her to talk about what happened--she kept asking me about ME and how I am doing!
I asked another question about how she was every time she tried to get the conversation onto me, and FINALLY she told me about what happened.
What she described was a lot worse than Amber had made it seem--Momma said she was curling her hair when she got dizzy...when she tried to walk into the bedroom, she couldn't get her body to walk straight but instead kept peeling off to the left.
When she reached the bed, she couldn't climb in, but kind of fell in instead. Amber just happened to call at that time, thank goodness, and when momma reached for the phnoe, she couldn't push the on button with her right hand. She said she could see the button, and see her hand, but she couldn't get her hand over to the button.
Scary.
When I mentioned that TTK wanted us to fly down immediately, she told me "Absolutely not. There's no need."
I agreed, saying that I would rather come down and see her when she was NOT in the hospital.
She got to have an MRI, which I told her is like "Having a band play african drum rhythms on the outside of a trash can--while your head is IN the trash can."
That got a laugh. :-)
I am going to call amber tomorrow and get an update.
Scariness.
My mom just had a stroke.
My siser called me 2 minutes ago to tell me they're at the ER...but that momma is mostly ok.
My sis had called my mom to make plans to go shopping, and momma was slurring and complained of being dizzy. Amber called my aunt Nyla immediately (Nyla's a PA) and told her...Nyla called momma, then called Amber back (A was already in the car by this time, heading over there) and said "ER. Now."
The Drs confirmed it was a stroke, and though she was feelig better, they are keeping her for a few days to run some tests as it's very likely it could happen again in the next few days.
Momma is having trouble with her right side movement, but is lucid and already acting like it's no big deal.
I told Amber "Do NOT let her pretend nothing happened! You know how she is..."
Amber agreed, and said momma was already telling her to fix some lunch, go get gas in your car, etc. before she agreed to go to the hospital.
I want to move down there...I miss my momma and want to be near her.
This really scared me. I go now to check on airline flights and pack an overnight bag, just in case.
My siser called me 2 minutes ago to tell me they're at the ER...but that momma is mostly ok.
My sis had called my mom to make plans to go shopping, and momma was slurring and complained of being dizzy. Amber called my aunt Nyla immediately (Nyla's a PA) and told her...Nyla called momma, then called Amber back (A was already in the car by this time, heading over there) and said "ER. Now."
The Drs confirmed it was a stroke, and though she was feelig better, they are keeping her for a few days to run some tests as it's very likely it could happen again in the next few days.
Momma is having trouble with her right side movement, but is lucid and already acting like it's no big deal.
I told Amber "Do NOT let her pretend nothing happened! You know how she is..."
Amber agreed, and said momma was already telling her to fix some lunch, go get gas in your car, etc. before she agreed to go to the hospital.
I want to move down there...I miss my momma and want to be near her.
This really scared me. I go now to check on airline flights and pack an overnight bag, just in case.
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