My First Surgery

Me before surgery
See? Don’t I look totally normal and calm right here? FOOLED YA!

Having your first surgery at 44 poses its own set of questions/challenges/risks/whatever you want to call them. I call them “I’m the biggest baby in the world, so I’m freaking out no matter what” things. 1. I’m scared to death of death. So being put under general anesthesia – basically the CLOSEST THING TO DEATH BESIDES DEATH – is not on my bucket list right now. 2. I have sleep apnea so let’s just ADD SOME MORE INSANITY TO THAT FEAR. 3. I’m overweight so let’s just ADD SOME MORE INSANITY TO THAT FEAR. 4. I’ve never been put under for anything so let’s just ADD SOME MORE INSANITY TO THAT FEAR. Seriously, I could go on like this all day.

After talking to a few people about my IRRATIONAL FEAR OF BEING PUT UNDER (yes, I type like I talk and I talk like I type) I calmed down quite a bit. Many of the folks I talked to who had surgeries before actually liked the anesthesia. Some said it was the best sleep they ever had, some likened the relaxation stuff they give you in the IV prior to being put to sleep to the happy gas they give you at the dentist, some said they don’t remember a thing therefore they love it. A few people said they didn’t like it or had bad reactions to it, but they were far and few between. I absolutely LOVE the gas at the dentist and the more people I talked to, the more I got the impression that was how I was going to feel before I even got fully under so I was ok by the time I got to surgery yesterday. Or so I thought.

I was pretty ok during check in and pre-op. I lost it a little when the anesthesiologist came in and started talking to me about the tube down my throat. For some idiotic reason I figured I would have a mask on. But, they can’t very well do surgery on my sinuses up through my nasal cavities if I’m wearing a mask, can they? So when he started mentioning a tube down my throat and stuff, I lost it a bit until Daniel was able to come back with me after they got my IV started. Daniel always calms me down.

They had my IV in they gave me propranolol well before taking me into surgery, but I don’t think it was enough. I thought I would be ‘dentist happy-gas relaxed’ by the time I got to the OR and I wouldn’t care what they did with me (pretty much how I feel at the dentist when I’m on that stuff), but when I got to the OR I was quite aware and scared of what was going on when they started sticking monitors on me and I could hear things start beeping. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. I wasn’t having it and I was petrified. I was not relaxed and told them – I also burst into tears. I heard someone ask if I had been given propranolol and someone else said yes. I yelled, “Not enough!” and asked for more. That’s the last thing I remember before waking up.

The next thing I know I was waking up to a bunch of people hovering over me saying, “It’s all over. You did great. See? It was nothing.” And whisking me somewhere else. They were right. It was easy, painless, and awesome. But I definitely needed more propranolol before going into that OR. Oh my word, that was scary as hell!

Smurf Me

The Smurfs All Star Show record cover

One of my most prized – and oldest – possessions is my Smurf record. I don’t remember when, where or how I got it, but I do remember it’s been a favorite of mine for years. I’ve been listening to this record for nearly 40 years.

I bought a little red turntable about four years ago, but haven’t used it in at least a year or two. I have a very small record collection, but do like to pull it out when hubby isn’t here and blast my vinyl. I thought today would be the perfect day for a walk down memory lane with my oldest friends, the Smurfs.

“The Smurfs All Star Show” kept me company so many days throughout my growing years. I hadn’t listened to this album in at least a decade so wondered how much of it I would remember. It was just like riding a bicycle. The upbeat campy tunes came right back to me like old nursery rhymes. As I listened to the album in my latest iteration I realized how each song reminded me of some of the greats out there, either the vocals or arrangements or both. One song sounded just like an Abba song, another one could have been by the Beatles, yet another one could have been written and sung by today’s Vampire Weekend. It was amazing how the Smurfs pulled their influences from different genres and groups.

I’m not sure if there are digital copies of the record anywhere considering it was released in 1981, but if you can find it check it out. My favorite song is “Catch Me,” a fast-paced, catchy tune that will make you dance around the kitchen while you cook your favorite meal. If you can’t find it online and want to listen just let me know…you can come over and we can Smurf it together!

It’s a #MiraclePopUp

Ashley from QP
The fabulous Ashley with her Yippie Ki Yay…before *I* drank it 🙂

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending the opening of ‘Miracle on 24th Street’ at Queen’s Park here in Birmingham. Queen’s Park is a lovely establishment that opened in late September 2018 and has been a hot spot ever since. It’s known for its delicious, one-of-kind cocktails, super fun ‘Tiki Tuesdays,’ and annual Miracle Pop Up, among other things.

I heard about ‘Miracle on 24th Street’ from so many people last year, but never had the chance to go. I knew I wasn’t making that mistake this year. The minute I found out when it was happening I reached out to my #1 Queen’s Park fan, Amanda, to see when we could schedule a date. We were both free on opening day so it was perfect.

Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop up that serves holiday drinks in a festive setting in bars all across the world from November 25 – December 31st. It was started in a bar in NYC and grew to over 100 participating cities this year with our very own Queen’s Park representing Birmingham. While I was remiss in taking pictures of the amazing menu, here are a few pictures of the beautiful interior that will definitely get you in the spirit. And now you have an even better reason to go inside and check out the menu in person. Believe me, it’s worth it!

GO GET YOUR OWN MIRACLE AT #MIRACLEPOPUP!

My Top 5 Distractions

I looooove to procrastinate when it comes to chores and not-so-fun things I have to do or deal with on a personal level. My dad knows this, Daniel knows this, anyone close to me knows this. I’m not proud of it, but I am working on it. I thought I’d share my top 5 distractions these days and how I’m working on combatting them when they arise.

  1. Sleeping. This is my number one distraction, by far. I’m not sure if it’s due to a medical condition/conditions or what, but I’m working through that theory. Hence my surgery this week. So, that’s how I’m combatting that distraction…going down the line of possibilities and trying to eliminate them. Sinus infections/issues, hormones, Sjogrens, Hashimoto’s, etc. ALL THE THINGS. I use my weekends to catch up on sleep. You’d think I had triplets or something as much as I like to sleep on the weekends. This is another reason it’s taking me forever to unpack.
  2. Social Media is probably number 2. It’s not as bad as it used to be, thankfully, but I can still get lost on Instagram or TikTok for far longer than I’d like to admit. When I find myself spending too much time on them I put down the phone or close the computer and pick up something substantial – either my Kindle (if I’m still in a mind mood) or laundry or a box to unpack if I need to do something with my hands.
  3. Television is almost as bad as social media for me. Thankfully we don’t have cable or I fear it would be a lot worse. But we do have all of the digital stuff – Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, Disney+, and a lot of other channels on the Roku that suck me in too many hours that I’d like to admit. I allow myself some TV time, but I try hard not to watch too much “fluff” TV, which is my favorite. If I find myself starting down that path I try to at least change to something educational like a documentary or the like. Baby steps, ya know? lol.
  4. Shopping (window). I love to window shop online. I can spend hours looking at things I’d love to buy, but never do. Clothes, shoes, things for the home, places I want to go, etc. I put tons of things in my cart just for fun, but never check out. The only time I actually shop is if I have a coupon or someone is having a huge sale. If I am spending too long window shopping and I have something I need to get done I close my tab and lose my cart. It’s so sad and all my stuff is gone. lol.
  5. Literally anything else than what I need to do. lol. I am just a procrastinator. But, the reality is that when I finally do whatever it is that I need(ed) to do I’m so happy it’s over with that I’m ecstatic. WHY DON’T I JUST DO IT AND GET IT OVER WITH? I am my father’s daughter. lol. It runs in our family. 🙂 So, yes, we’ll still be unpacking boxes in 2 years from our move and we *might* invite you over in like 5 years to our *new* place. Hold your breath.

Thank You for the Blog Love

paper heart
image by victor u

It’s another twofer so enjoy!

First off, I cannot thank you enough for all of the messages, texts, comments, and posts after sharing my recent weight story. So many of you reached out with words of encouragement, support, and love. It’s hard putting yourself out there for the world to see – especially when you tack your actual weight to it – but you all were so accepting and positive and I should have known you would be. I truly have the most amazing friends.

I will tell you the best thing about writing that post – seeing so many comments from the people who inspire me in their wellness journeys. I don’t always speak up, but I follow many, many of you on FB, IG, Twitter, and the like. And I know many of you are or have been on your own wellness journeys through the years. I follow a lot of you and look to you regularly for inspiration. So, for any of you who might have gotten a nudge from my story, chances are I got one (or more) from you first in the past year or years. So thank YOU for being transparent and always being real in your posts. It helps so much more than you know, even if I don’t tell you. I’m watching. And so are others. 💕