Gettin' Crafty

So we have been inspired by design shows and we have gone crafty in our house. I wanted to share our efforts.

We needed new pillows for the bed so we purchased this great quilt fabric and made our own covers in sort of a modern quilt pattern:





AND our biggest and most proud accomplishment is that we rehabbed an old dresser and made a t.v. stand out of it. We recieved a wonderful t.v. for christmas by combining gift cards from best*buy (thank you everyone!!), and since then have been trying to figure out how to incorporate the large t.v. into our living room without it completely taking over. We had the TV on H's old 3-drawer dresser but realized that it would be better to have it lower to the ground. Everything I read said the t.v. should be at eye level. So we went to ikea on friday night to get ideas and also to look at chairs (because I think we need to replace the giant chair in our living room-but that is another story). There were tons of opitions but all in the $150 price range - which we were not too excited about...... so........ this dresser that previously had 3 drawers:

turned into this:



I wish we had better pictures of the before, unfortunetely we thought of that AFTER we cut off the two top drawers. Here is what we did: removed the top, cut off the 2 top drawers (that were always a pain to use because they stuck so badly and made H. cry on more than one morning), re-attached the top, and then attached the shelving we made to house the components. It was really great, we both were so proud of ourselves - I was mainly the measurer and planner and H. was in charge of the jig-sawing and various other production skills - it was so fun. I now have visions of chopping up other furniture to make it perfect. We found a green alternative to buying something new, and it was considerably cheaper-about 20 dollars in paint and new handles. Also I have found a website I am obsessed with. We ended up painting our new t.v. stand a deep purple, which from afar looks black or brown but up close is definately purple - It ended up looking realitively modern.


Also, for those who love surgical matters, here is Hazel's incision from being fixed. I am hoping this is the last of our surgery stories to be posted on the blog - I guess we will know for sure on thursday. Yikkes - I hope Hazel's was the last. 3 surgeries in 30 days is enough.

Hazel did great for her surgery (as it said on the bottom of her discharge papers-highlighted and with three exclamation points!!!) and she has not really been bothering the stiches, except in the beginning when I was sure was saying to herself...."what happened? I always have a furry belly and now I don't. What the ???" She looked so bewildered. It must be very strange to wake up and to want to clean up only to lick something that does not feel like any belly you have ever licked. She was so very cute. However...a word to anyone who wants to adopt a kitty... .don't rescue someone from the street - it ends up being very expensive because you don't get any shelter deals - it is cheaper to adopt through a kitty rescue-she is now in the 800 dollar range - but she is priceless.

Also I wanted to give a picture of sadie lovin on her. Despite her surgery she is a happy kitty, mainly because she loves her sisters so very much, and she has also discovered that she likes to sit in laps!!!

Please define "DONE"

Well, as most of you know, L and I have been recovering from our collective surgeries. While the actual surgeries are finished, the surgical procedures were just the beginning. Here is the truth that people may not tell you… surgery and subsequent recovery is HARD. And, frankly, it hurts. I think L and I both underestimated how long it would take to recover (Hazel is the only one who seems to be back to 100% after being spayed on 1/31). Even though laparoscopic surgery is far better and less intrusive that having a larger incision, it is still a big deal that takes a long time to recover from. L is still in pain when she sits too long, or has to lean over. And even though a pinky finger is the smallest of all fingers, putting screws and cadaver bone into it is a big shock to the little guy. I can’t straighten or bend my finger, and still have a large scab type thing that won’t go away.

This brings me to the current issue … I saw the surgeon today for a follow-up. The x-rays look good and the joint is now healed with all its new accoutrements, but he is concerned that the skin is not recovering more quickly. (Though he took some photos, I won’t favor you with them here.) He said that it is unusual for the skin to take this long to heal and said that we might need to consider a skin graft. Yes, you read that right: ANOTHER SURGERY. I have scheduled a second opinion, at his suggestion, and will see another hand surgeon on Thursday. I just can’t understand why my skin isn’t healing better. It scares me that there might be some larger health problem that is keeping my skin from healing. I know that I am prone to “worst-case” thinking when it comes to health issues (just ask L’s sister K who has explained to me at least ten times why every headache I have is NOT an aneurism). But really, why isn’t my body healing?

After the appointment, I went to Whole Foods and bought every supplement I could find that might have any impact on healing/growing skin. I just want to feel like I can do something to support my body and hopefully avoid another surgery. I will let you all know how it goes on Thursday. Hopefully I will get some good news.

Until then, L’s last post about being done makes me feel a little like George Bush in a flight suit standing beneath the “Mission Accomplished” banner.

It is DONE!

The surgery is over, and it went well. They did not have to do a big cut, the whole cyst is out, I have my left ovary, and I am not in too much pain. It has been a full week now since the surgery and I am just feeling like myself again. I think basically surgery is a ton of trauma to your body and the pain is for me just becoming really okay and manageable. I have been trying to get off the pain killers and I thought yesterday would be my first drug free day, but by the end of last night I was in a lot of pain, so today I am not setting my self up to fail, but I really just want to rely on Motrin. I have been mainly sitting in an overstuffed chair or lying down in bed or on the couch. Not a bad life really - just not for me. Especially when watching all the design t.v. shows - I just want to get up and move around furniture, paint something, or sew something.

My work friends sent me this, which was so nice, thoughtful and delicious:


I am sure they are wanting me to come on back. I have another 2 weeks of medical leave and I think I will take all of it. Just really to take it easy and be careful with my self. Also I have yet to accomplish the task of leaving the house, which is on the table for tomorrow. I want to feel pretty good before I head back to work where I will be running from court to court and on my feet almost all day.


This is what the physical therapist put on H's finger/hand. She has not received very much therapy per se, i.e. none, and we are hoping the next visit she actually learns to move her finger, because she does not have a lot of mobility at this point:





And this is the most updated finger picture - still not pretty but healing!

So Much for a Quick Update

I am sorry it has been so long with no update about H.'s finger. The surgery itself went well. She was supposed to be in "Twilight" but was expressing during the surgery that she was in pain so they put her under general anesthesia. Two pins and some cadaver bone later she has been doing pretty well the last 2 weeks. She has been experiencing a good amount of pain, and she has had to rely on pain medication which she does not like. Most of the options are not great, with Vicodin being the biggest loser.
Yesterday H.'s cast came off. Sadly we did not get pictures of her in it. But we did get a picture this morning of her finger. It is not pretty folks, not pretty... but the Dr. said he thought that it was healing, and he was happy she had feeling in the tip of her finger. I am going to post it in a different post with a password, in case you don't want to see at all, or at this time. (*** Update I can't do a password protect on one post in Blogger - I am very disappointed about that - And just spent the last couple of minutes looking at other hosts - there maybe a blog move in our future. For now, H.s finger is at the bottom of this post. You are warned.) I am very sensitive to injuries to the hands (those of you who know me well, know that i am against all torture, but I really hate it on t.v. when someones hands are being tortured.... ughhh...)
More posts to come soon I promise. For real. I will be home for the next 3 weeks because of my surgery on thursday and I honestly can't imagine how I am going to fill my time. Ellen is only on t.v. for one hour. That leaves 9 other hours without company save our dear kitties.
xo
L.

A New Year (whats a couple surgeries among friends)

We had a hard time gearing up and celebrating New Years this year. It is hard with our surgeries to feel like this year is getting off to a good start. It is actually more a bit bumpy. On Monday we learned that H. is going to have surgery on Weds(today) in the afternoon. We sat at 6:30 on New Years eve completely unexcited for at least the next month, and unable to see what else the world held for us in 2008. Then with a stroke of genius H. said, well you will most likely get pregnant in 2008 and we might even have our baby - now that was something we could celebrate. We from that moment on had a wonderful celebration. We went to K.K. and K.S's house, drank a good amount of champagne and then went up to prospect park to watch the fireworks. It was a good show, and there was a great James Brown cover. It felt like a celebration. Yesterday we rang in the New Year with brunch with our dear friends P.L and M.B (and M.B.'s sister and partner). It was fun to talk about what the year holds for them as they are getting married and we could not be happier for them. We also went grocery shopping and went home with all our goods. I proceeded to cook up a storm. We now have Potato leek soup, roasted chicken and risotto, and homemade cinnamon ice cream for H. to eat after her surgery today. Yes. I was trying to comfort via food.
It this moment I am hopeful that the surgery will be very successful, and actually relieve some pain for H. She has been so uncomfortable. I will post an update soon.

When it rains it pours

Well, first off I did not have my surgery today. I got bumped because there was an emergency surgery and also my surgeon has to cover for someone who called out sick. So it is rescheduled for 1/17/08 - Which seems so far away and I am not too happy about that.
Also, H. broke her finger while we were in VT sledding (full xmas update to come). It is broken right in the joint and the bone shatters are impacted into the joint. It actually looks like she will have to have surgery. That's right, you heard me, she might have to have surgery. H.'s finger is purple, yellow, very sensitive to the touch and it just doesn't look right. The emergency doctor at NYU joint hospital gave her Vicodin, and the surgeon today said she should take it when she is in pain. It has been helping a lot but it has also been making her a bit out of it.
So it looks like she will have her surgery before mine so the upside of my surgery being postponed is that we can focus on her hand. The downside of course will be that her hand will be immobilized for 4 - 6 weeks so it is unclear how much she will be able to do around the house after my surgery. Time for the cats to earn their keep.
It is all crazy. We have each had a CT scan in the span of 3 weeks and it looks like we will both have a surgery in the month of January. We are of course ever grateful that we have good insurance and are just sort of shaking our heads at the craziness of this all.

oh so much to say

We have not been posting. I am sorry. We have been going through so much and now feel ready to share with all of you. It all started because we were planning a secret attempt of getting pregnant. We were thinking we would inseminate in early December and we were so excited. Maybe naive. Definitely hopeful. We wanted this.

Instead, we go to see the RE and she sees a cyst that is really big and she thinks we can still go forward but wants to get it checked out, just in case. One week and tons of ultrasounds later (more then can be counted on a hand), we leave her office with the knowledge that maybe tomorrow (last Tuesday) we can start inseminating and being told "call back in the afternoon for your blood results and I just want to check with the oncologists." I call back and am told "this cycle is off, you have to get a CT and meet with the fancy dancy oncologists." F*ck. Now, everything is so scary. Cancer? Surgery? Can we still go to CO and VT for the holidays? Everything was up in the air for another week.

It turns out I have a cyst the size of a grapefruit between my bladder and my left ovary.

We went to the oncologist yesterday. Young, so nice, so smart oncologist says yes, surgery. No question about that. She does not think it is cancer. She really did not even focus on that - which i am taking as a good sign, although she will do tests once its out. I really liked the surgeon and the facility in general. So, no pregnancy to report here. Just a surgery happening on 12/28.

To say that H. and I have been praying and hoping that good good news comes to us is an understatement. The best thing about all of this is my wife. She has been amazing, I don't know what I would have done with out her. I feel that always, but this has just made me appreciate her so much. I feel like that sentence does no justice to how I have been feeling about her. What a perfect partner in life I have. (If you know me well, you know I am tearing up as I write this.) Family and the handful of friends who know about all of this have been wonderful too. We have been surrounded by a band of angels.

Still scared, still praying, still hopeful for good news here. We are mostly so happy to know the next step. I will be out of work for at least 3 weeks after the surgery (more if they have to do an incision) so there will be many more posts. Meanwhile we are so happy to be going to our families. We know good food, tons of laughter and family time with be restorative to us both. We need this next two weeks.

Here is our Christmas tree.

Here is Ellie doing a glamour shot

Hazel is loving sleeping under the tree. It is so so cute. I just might have to send this picture to here it is so cute. She also loves to "play" with the ornaments and she has discovered that she loves to eat popcorn-right off the tree of course. (You might have noticed the bottom of our tree looks a bit sparse.)

and here are Hazel and Sadie who have discovered that it is really not that bad to cuddle (all of Hazel's hard work and persistance in the persuit of snuggles is finally paying off!)


So if you pray, believe in cosmic energy, please send it out to me and H. in two weeks. I write this post ready for our band of angels to get a bit larger and with so much happiness that, while it seems this will be a process and likely a bit (or more) scary, at least it is not cancer. As H.'s Busia would say, "This too shall pass." If we don't post again soon, Happy Holidays everyone.
L.