Of All The Things I've Lost, My Mind Is What I Miss The Most

On a lighter note... I think I'm seriously loosing my mind. Case in point-last Sunday I opened the refrigerator and there was my box of plastic wrap. Oh, the dismay! I wished I had a child living at home so I could blame it on them. Unfortunately, Bill was standing there when I did it and he looked as bewildered as I. Guess I couldn't blame it on him either.

The next one is worse. Definitely, worse. Last Thursday when I got to school I realized I really didn't want to stand and "teach" all day. I had extra loaves of bread and extra eggs in my foods lab. Aha! Teach them how to make French Toast and Cinnamon Toast. (Would you believe that only 1 or 2 per class had ever made cinnamon toast? I was shocked! What has happened to childhood?) Anyway, just before the bell rang for lunch I surveyed the situation and realized I needed more bread. Those rascals were really loving the cooking and eating of such treats. When the bell rang I quickly grabbed my purse and told the teacher across the hall that I was running to the grocery store and would be back very soon. The grocery I use for school is only two blocks away and I had 30 minutes for lunch. No one would ever miss me. So I ran to the store and walked back in my foods lab about 15 minutes later. Ah! Time to spare. I thought I had time to spare. WRONG. There sat my small third period class of all boys playing games on the computers! "What are you doing here?", I asked with great confusion. "We've been really good, Mrs. Stegall! Really, we have!" Suddenly, the light dawned on me. It was third period- not fourth! I had just walked out of the school and left my class of ADHD boys totally unattended. The loved it. I was humiliated.

Last but not least, I've got too many birthdays for me to remember the dates. I know both Bill and my parents birthdays. I certainly know our children's birthdays, as well as all of their mates birthdays. I know most all of our combined brother-in-law and sisters in law birthdays (that adds 12). I even know a few random friends birthdays. However, it appears that when it comes to our grandchildren I'm a bit of a nutcase. I focus and pray for months about a new baby coming and can tell you during any given pregnancy what the baby's due date is. It's set in my mind. However, somehow those little ones don't seem to come on the date I have set in my mind. Recently I planned very well for JEB's second birthday. I picked out just the right things, brought them home, and wrapped them. They have been sitting on the hearth for a couple of

weeks. I waited to mail them so they would arrive on the exact date of his birthday-the 27th.

I was quite pleased with myself. I was talking to one of my children on April 24th. She mentioned JEB's birthday being the NEXT day-the 25th! Oh brother!!! At least at age two, he won't realize his Mimi is a dingbat. We are expecting grandchildren numbers eight and nine in the next five months. Whatever shall I do?

GREAT NEWS!!!

I went to UAB today for a check up. We were supposed to check-in at 6:50am. (Very hard for a sleepy head who has an hour's drive/ride from Gadsden.) I had a PET scan, mammogram, and blood work and then saw the doctor. In October I had four tumors. The two in my abdomen are COMPLETELY GONE!!! The one in my back and the one in my butt are still there but getting smaller. (Cancer is still absolutely a pain in the butt!) We are so thrilled! Praise the Lord! We headed back to Gadsden very relieved and grateful. Whew!

He Takes A Licking and Just Keeps On Ticking...

Do you remember that old Timex commercial? I know, I'm showing my age. However, that's the way it has felt around here the last few days. For several weeks Bill has been having some heart symptoms that have left us both somewhat rattled. We went to see his cardiologist March 11 and he concurred and scheduled a PET Scan for Wed, April 7. Easter Sunday am he woke up at about 6:30 with slight chest pains and a slightly sore left arm. His response,"We'll just tell the doctor Wednesday." (I don't think so...) In church he started sweating from his head to the point that his collar was getting wet. This got my attention-and his! When his stents closed after his heart attack in Oct. 1999 the main symptom was sweating profusely from the head. Other friends at church even noticed it. Still he said, "We are going to Sarah's for lunch. She is expecting us there."

SO, unbeknown to him, I quickly grabbed a few essentials and stuck them in the back of the car.

When we finished eating I called the doctor and told him Bill's symptoms. He asked to speak to Bill. When Bill came back from talking to him he said,"He wants us to go to the ER now." (Totally a side note- I have fought hard for the last 26 years against being controlling. That is my default when stressed. I've made tremendous progress. This was a notable exception. I felt like his life was at stake).

We went to Brookwood Hospital and they took him back immediately. When he was in triage he had another "episode" (symptoms). After testing, watching, praying and waiting a while he was admitted to the hospital. Yesterday he had an arteriogram, with the strong possibility of another stent. When he and the doctor came back to the room we had such good news! All of the 5 bypasses that he had 10+ years ago were still open and flowing well. What a relief!! Also the cause of all of his symptoms was due to the fact the one of his former blockages was leaking a small amount of blood into his bypassed vein and that was causing symptoms. The doctor gave him a new medication and adjusted the amount of another so we hope that will "fix" it. We go back in a month. Whew!