Karen

The Long Ride–The Rest Of The Story

So, if you are following this story, you know I took a long ride down the Kaibab Plateau in the back of an ambulance, and then I went to Flagstaff to visit Dr. Wani, the cardiologist. We went back to Flagstaff this week to get the results of all the tests that Dr. Wani and his crew did. And the results are: I have no blockages, no leaky valves, no enlarged heart, no high cholesterol. Nothing. I am very happy to say I am a normal, healthy 58 year old woman who obviously had stress induced chest pains for no reason.

Except that I think I may have been too worried about FabGrandpa. But you see, he had oral cancer in 2001. Specifically, Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the tongue. So, any time he has a sore or an ulcer in his mouth, I freak out. I can’t help it. It is my way to worry about the man I love. So, when he showed me a place on his lower gum about a month ago, a place that looked like an exposed jawbone to us, I of course immediately thought it was a recurrence of his cancer. That is why we went to Prescott to the VA Medical Center two weeks ago. And they sent us to see the ENT Cancer Specialist in Phoenix on Monday of this week.

When we got to Phoenix, we were taken in to the ENT Cancer Specialist’s office for him to examine FabGrandpa’s gum. And when he did, he smiled and said, “I think it is a tooth!” And in fact, it WAS a piece of a tooth that was embedded in FabGrandpa’s gum from 10 years ago when he had all his teeth extracted. So, he was given a referral to the dentist on the other side of the hospital to have it removed.

We hurried over there, where they took him right in and took that piece of tooth right out of his head. They didn’t even have to do a biopsy, because when they removed the tooth, they didn’t see anything else there. What a relief! FabGrandpa and I were so relieved, in fact, that we were so silly and giddy and happy that we practically danced on the sidewalk for the rest of the day. Except that we had to be in Flagstaff the next day for my appointment with Dr. Wani. So giddy, that we actually went to Denny’s just for dessert after we got checked in to our motel in Flagstaff. DENNY’S. A place where FabGrandpa usually refuses to eat. And I was so happy that I ate some pie, gluten and all. On purpose.

The next day is when I went for my appointment with Dr. Wani. They did an ultrasound of my heart too, also known as a Echocardiogram. It was uncomfortable but did not actually hurt. I was very glad we had not checked out of the motel yet, because I had to go back there to take a shower after it was all over with. It seemed like they used an excessive amount of that gel. Ick! It was interesting to see the images of my beating heart, showing all the chambers, but I kept thinking, “How much is this going to cost???”

So, we are both fine. While getting all those heart tests is not my idea of fun, at least we know my ticker is working just fine. And we know for sure FabGrandpa is in his second childhood, as he is teething, hahahhaa! The only thing is, I am “heartbroken” because somewhere along the way, I lost my camera. The new one, the one I bought in November. So I can’t show you the picture of silly, giddy FabGrandpa. You’ll just have to take my word for it.

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Why, Yes, That IS a Gluten Free Cake!

Karen · 4 Comments

I haven’t been cooking much lately, other than the regular meals all hum drum, like meatloaf, baked chicken, catfish (yes, still eating it), and pork chops. I haven’t been experimenting with recipes, or making up my own, just because I have been working so much and just want to get it on the table.

So, today, I had a day off. I was yearning, craving, something sweet and gooey, so I looked in the pantry and found a gluten free cake mix, some frosting, and gluten free raspberry filling (I usually use that to make a sort of cobbler). And then my brain started swirling and spinning, thinking, “A gluten free lemon raspberry cake would be soooo goood!” I also thought to myself, “I better make it and eat it before that doctor down in Flagstaff tells me I shouldn’t eat crap like that anymore, gluten free or not.

I baked the cake according to the directions on the package for high altitude. It came out great, except for being a little lopsided. I fixed that by using a huge knife and cutting off the bump (it made a delicious treat for me!). Because this mix only makes one layer, I cut it in half to make two layers for half a cake. I spread a generous portion of the raspberry filling between the layers, then frosted the whole thing with the lemon frosting.

DSCN4987 — not as pretty as I imagined, but it is gluten free.

The finished product did not turn out as pretty as I had imagined in my head, but it tasted very good. The raspberry filling squished out in places through the frosting. Oh, well…..

DSCN4988 — Raspberry Lemon Gluten Free Cake

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The Long Ride, Part Two

Karen · 17 Comments

So, I left you all at the end of the day on which I took the long ride down the Kaibab Plateau in the back of an ambulance. The nice Dr. Nelson suggested that I get checked out by a cardiologist “just to be sure” there was nothing wrong. So, I spent Monday on the phone setting up an appointment for me with Dr. Wani in Flagstaff. He is affiliated with the Flagstaff Medical Center Heart Center.

Going to Flagstaff involves getting a motel room–it is a little over 200 miles away from where I live and work. Flagstaff is a tourist town in summer, so it is difficult to get a room. The Marriott, however, does have a medical rate, which is quite a bit lower than getting a room for touristy stuff. I like that in a motel. I almost seems like they keep a room or two held back for medical customers, or at least I got that feeling from them. They also happen to have very nice rooms and free wi-fi that actually works, so that made our stay in Flagstaff a little better.

DSCN4916 — The sky at sunset outside the Motel 6 in Prescott

We also had to go down to Prescott, Arizona, to the VA Medical Center there for FabGrandpa to get his regular bloodwork done and to follow up on his cataract surgery he had in March. So, we left the Kaibab Plateau early on Tuesday morning, as the sun was coming up. The drive to Prescott is 302 miles, so we had a room reserved there for Tuesday night. We went to the VA, got all the stuff done, then went to the room and checked in. The wi-fi there at the Motel 6 did not work, and it was not free. The bed was too small, and was pushed up against the wall on one side, so that FabGrandpa said he felt like he was sleeping in a crib. During the night, the people upstairs from us started fighting–the police finally came and hauled them off to jail around 2:30 in the morning. We won’t be staying a Motel 6 again any time soon.

DSCN4939 — Breakfast at the Casino dining room

We got up around 4:30 a.m. and left that crap hole of a motel–no reason to stick around any longer than necessary. We made it to Flagstaff around 9:30 in the morning, after stopping for breakfast at the Cliffs Casino in Verde Valley. The people at the Mariott let us check in right away. My appointment wasn’t until Thursday, so we spent Wednesday shopping for things we needed–all the non-perishable groceries at Wal-Mart, some insoles for our boots, (seems SOMEONE threw away the ones we bought in Alabama when we bought the boots. Don’t know WHO could have done that, but they were no where to be found), some new bras for me. And you know how I hate to shop for bras!

DSCN4943 — It was rainy and chilly in Flagstaff while we were there

Thursday, I went to see Dr. Wani. He seemed like a very good doctor. He asked me lots of questions about why I was there, what happened the other day, my medical history, etc., etc., etc. After looking at my records that had been faxed to him from Kane County Hospital from last Saturday, he decided I needed to have a Cardiac CT Angiogram. I thought I was going to have a stress test, but this is something different. Dr. Wani said it would show him a complete picture of my heart and arteries and would show him whether or not I have a blockage or anything else wrong. Lucklily for me, he was able to schedule this for the next day at 4:oo pm.

DSCN4945 — This guy must play "Left For Dead"

On Friday, I went over the the hospital at 7:30 a.m. to get blood drawn so they could check for cholesterol levels and some other stuff. This blood test had to be done while fasting, so I had to get over there early so I could go eat. For my entire life, people have always had trouble finding my veins. It’s like they are non-existent, or too small, or whatever. This day was no different. The first lady stuck me and started digging around to try to get the vein, so I very politely asked her to get someone else to try it. The next one tied the tourniquet so tight it felt like my arm would fall off, but she did get the vein on the first try. I always hate getting blood drawn because of that.

DSCN4951 — This beautiful rainbow was seen across the street from Barnes & Noble in Flagstaff

Later, at 2:00, I went back over to the hospital to check in for the CT Angiogram. They took me in and gave me one of those hospital gowns to put on, then sat me in a chair. They hooked me up to an ECG machine and took my vital signs. My heart rate was 53, blood pressure 123/61, and the ECG was a normal blip line on the screen. About that time I was wondering why I was there. Anyway, the RN who was doing this part of preparation said that I would not need to have the medication they normally use to slow down the heart rate because my heart rate was just fine.

DSCN4953 — A pretty impressive sunset in Flagstaff

While my preparation for the test was going on, they brought in an emergency trauma case who needed a test using the CT Scanner. So, I waited. And I waited. And I waited some more. While I was waiting, the RN said we needed to start an IV line so they could put the contrast dye into my veins while I was in the machine. I told her that I do not have good veins and how people always have trouble finding my veins, so she called and asked for someone with a portable ultrasound machine to come and find my veins that way!!! I was so happy (even though this added goodness will proably add hundreds to my bill, I was thrilled!). The squirted the gel goo on my arm and glided the little wand around until they knew exactly where to stick me. One stick, they’re in!!!

DSCN4954 — More of the sunset in Flagstaff

Finally, around 4:30, it was time to go to the CT room. They had me lay down on a table, put pillows under my head and legs, and told me to expect the contrast dye to feel warm, and to feel like I had peed on myself. And it really did feel that way. The table moved in and out of the donut shaped machine, stopping every now and then. A machine voice told me to breathe in, then out, then to hold my breath, while hundreds of pictures of my heart were taken. The whole thing was over in 10 minutes, and the only thing that hurt was when they stuck me to insert the IV.

DSCN4967 — Some flowers outside the Marriott Hotel

So now we wait for the results of the test, and the bill. Whooo whee, that is gonna be a whopper! (Oh, and sorry I don’t have any photos of the procedure. I couldn’t take them myself, and FabGrandpa was in the waiting room. I hope you like the scenery, though.)

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Just Some Nice Pictures

Karen · 5 Comments

Tuesday morning we had to go to Prescott, so we got up early and left about 5:30 a.m. The sky outside was filled with storm clouds. Across the canyon, it was raining and lightening.

Out in the meadows 12 miles away, we saw a herd of buffalo standing in the road.They took their time crossing to the other side.

The sky still looked stormy, and the ground was wet, but we never got into the rain.

DSCN4791 — Heavy clouds in the Kaibab National Forest

There was a huge rainbow, so big I had to take two pictures to get all of it. I have never seen a rainbow quite like that one before.

Further down the road,out in the desert, we passed by the Vermillion Cliffs

We passed by the area burned in the Shultz fire in June in the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff. That fire was caused by a careless camper leaving a campfire burning.

DSCN4843 — The San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff--burned in June in the Shultz fire.

Our trip took us down I-17 south of Flagstaff and through the Verde Valley.

DSCN4850 — The view out the window on I-17 between Flagstaff and Camp Verde, AZ.

We had slow going due to road construction along the way.

We finally made it to Prescott. We spent the night there, then went back up to Flagstaff for a couple of nights. This sunset in Prescott was fabulous!

DSCN4912 — This was taken from the parking lot of Best Buy in Prescott, AZ.

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And Of Course I Didn’t Have My Camera With Me….

Karen · 16 Comments

Yesterday started out just like any other work day for me. I got up, showered, read my emails and Facebook stuff. Got dressed in my uniform, packed a lunch. Walked the 1/2 mile or so to my “office” at the campground. Since I was on the morning shift, the first thing I did was walk the campground doing site checks, to see if any of the late arrivals made it in. During the walk, I was approached by several campers who had complaints about a particular late arrival, who was noisy and rude. Check. I made a note to call Law Enforcement (LE) to come have a chat with them.

Got back to the office, and started doing my morning reports. Had a little stabbing pain in my left chest. It sorta kinda felt like someone was stabbing me with a pencil in my left boob. The pain then shot down my left arm. That was not good, I thought to myself, but didn’t think a lot about it. I just continued with my work. A few minutes later, there was that little stab again. I wondered if someone had a voodoo doll of me, but kept working. I called LE and talked to them about the noisy rude camper, and asked them to come have a talk.

So, these little jabs in the left boob continued. LE came after about an hour, we chatted, they left to go talk to the noisy campers. They came back, told me the campers were not home, and for me to let them know if I saw them come back. They left. I continued on with my routine. And so did the little stabbing pain. And my last two fingers on my left arm felt all numb and tingly. So, I did what any of us SHOULD do. I called dispatch, our version of 911 here.

I told them the dispatcher that I am 58, overweight, type II diabetic, that I have been having pains in my chest and left arm for a couple of hours. And LE was there in like 2 MINUTES. They came in the office, shut the blinds, and started working me over–blood pressure, blood sugar test, looked in my eyes, listened to my heart, asked me a blue bajillion questions. And then they called for an ambulance and driver to take me to the hospital. I asked if FabGrandpa could just drive me there, and they said, no. My only other option was to go by helicopter. NO THANKS, get me the ambulance, please.

So, they loaded my fat arse on a trolley and into the ambulance, right there from my duty station, with people all standing around gawking at me. I rode the first 45 miles in the park service ambulance, then at Jacob Lake, they transferred me to a Kane County, Utah ambulance for the next 40 miles. While we were at Jacob Lake, my co-worker, across the street neighbor, and dear friend, KJ, drove up. She just happens to be an EMT. She was on her way home from grocery shopping in Kanab. She immediately gave her groceries to the park service ambulance driver and followed us back to Kanab and the hospital. I was really glad to see her.

On the way in the Kane County ambulance, they gave me four baby aspirins to chew up and swallow, and two nitroglycerin tablets, one at a time, to melt under my tongue. Started an IV in the moving vehicle (The most awful part of the whole ordeal, let me tell you!!) And put an oxygen mask on my face. I was scared halfway to death by this time.

When we got to the hospital, I was taken in to the emergency room, and two doctors and a nurse IMMEDIATELY started working with me. The nice Dr. Nelson asked me another blue bajillion questions while the other guy started sticking those EKG tabs all over me. And then I had to take off my shirt and bra. Die a million deaths of embarassment!!! I could not get my bra unfastened, so the guy had to do it for me. Then another lady came in and started trying to stick me to get some blood. I do NOT have good veins. People always have trouble getting my veins. Then the really smart and lovable nurse, Mindy, suggested that they use the IV port to get my blood. If I could have gotten up at that point I would have kissed her on the lips.

By this time, FabGrandpa and KJ had arrived. The EKG guy was reading the report, and KJ asked if she could see it. The guy looked at me and I said, “She can see anything you have because she is my advocate.” The EKG was fine, both the EKG guy and KJ said so. Nothing to worry about there. When the blood test results were ready, young Dr. Nelson came in and said everything looked normal, as in NEGATIVE for heart attack enzymes. The only thing that was off in any way was my white cell count. It was on “the high side of normal”. He asked if I had had any infections lately, and I told him I had a kidney infection in June.

Dr. Nelson said he thinks I have Costochrondritis. I had walked a little bit over a mile that morning before settling down to do my paperwork. I AM overweight, and even though I have been here at high altitude since April 25, I still huff and puff A LOT when I walk. He thinks the exertion from the heavy breathing is what caused the pain. They kept me at the hospital for observation until 8 p.m. and did another heart enzyme blood test before releasing me to go home. That one was negative, too.

FabGrandpa and I left the hospital to drive home at just about sunset. There was a magnificent cloud formation over the Vermillion Cliffs, with lightening popping here and there. It was one of the most fabulous sunsets I have EVER seen. And of course, I didn’t have my camera with me…..

I was really really impressed with the speed and efficiency of our LE guys. It made me feel really good to know that if I have a real emergency, they can be to me in two minutes. Or sooner. The whole thing was really more embarrassing than painful, (mostly because I work and live with these people every day) but everyone is telling me I did the right thing. I called 911 when I had chest pains. I went to the hospital in an ambulance. I am making the appointment for the cardiologist. And I feel fine today.

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I Made It

Karen · 4 Comments

turq necklace 1 — Turqoise and copper necklace

In the winter of 2008-2009, I was making jewelry. This turquoise and copper necklace is one of my favorite pieces that I made back then.

I don’t wear much jewelry, but I do wear this necklace occasionally. I like having jewelry, just don’t wear it much.

To see other neat handmade items, check out the Everything Etsy “I Made It” blog party here:

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Not Much Going On

Karen · 3 Comments

Another week gone by, and I have nothing much going on. I still have stuff to upload to the Etsy store, but haven’t had time to get it done. No sewing accomplished this week, either. I worked the late shift, so by the time I got home every evening this week, I was just plain pooped. All I wanted to do was eat my dinner and take a shower, then put my feet up.

DSCN4710 — Inside the restaurant at the lodge.

Today we were off, and FabGrandpa suggested that we go to breakfast at the lodge. He didn’t have to ask me twice. The lodge was built in 1928. It has massive beams in the ceiling, and lots of windows that provide great views of the canyon. We didn’t get there until 9:00 a.m, so it wasn’t very crowded. We got a seat by a window, so I was able to get some good pictures.

DSCN4713 — A view out the side window of the lodge.

My breakfast was two eggs over medium, hashbrowns, and bacon. Lots of coffee, too. I could have ordered a fruit plate, or huevos rancheros, or even gluten free pancakes. What I got looked and tasted pretty good.

DSCN4717 — Two eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon.

After we ate, we went out on the patio to take some pictures. Yes, I already have tons of photos of the canyon, but it looks different every day, in different light.

DSCN4718 — View from the North Rim Lodge patio 7-14-10

Fabgrandpa took my picture. Yes, I was posing.

Then I took his picture, too.

While we were out there, we saw my co-worker out roving. They gave us all pedometers this week–it’s a health and safety “initiative”, designed to get us moving and walking more. So, Richard was out walking the Transept Trail.

DSCN4727 — My co-worker waaaayyyyy over there on the viewpoint.

DSCN4728 — One last shot before we headed home

We went back home, and did all the grunt work–changed the sheets on the bed, turned the mattress, swept all the floors, shook out all the rugs. Then I cleaned out all the kitchen cabinets and straightened them up, cleaned out the refrigerator, and took out the trash. Yes, everyday life, only at the edge of the Grand Canyon.

We decided to cook out on the new barbecue grill for dinner. I had a whole chicken that needed cooking, so I cut it in half, put on the seasonings, and threw it on the grill. An hour later, it was delicious. I made some oven roasted potatoes with garlic to go with, and our friend, Terry, brought a three bean salad.

DSCN4746 — Barbecued chicken, roasted garlic potatoes, and three bean salad.

Yum, a great dinner, then a beautiful sunset. We sat out there at the picnic table until the stars came out.

DSCN4747 — Our friend (and FabGrandpa's co-worker) Terry

Life is truly grand!

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Tada! Nana’s Wire Wrapped Jewelry Is On Etsy!

Karen · 7 Comments

nana and poppa 1992 — Nana and Poppa in 1992

The last time we visited with my mother and father in law, Nana asked me to take some of the wire wrapped jewelry she makes home with me and put it for sale in my shop. It only took me three months, but I finally got time yesterday to take pictures of each individual piece, measure them, and write a description so that I could upload them to my Etsy shop. Yes, it is a time consuming process, but something I feel honored to be able to do for my in-laws. They have been wonderful to me over the 18 years that FabGrandpa and I have been married, so it is nice to be able to do something nice for them.

Nana and Poppa both make jewelry. They used to go all over in their motorhome, doing craft shows and selling their beautiful pieces. They haven’t been able to travel in a number of years, so they haven’t had anywhere to sell what they make.

poppa 2010 — Poppa relaxing in his chair April 2010

I only have the first 10 pieces listed so far, but more are coming, just as soon as I have a minute to get them posted. Yesterday when I was taking pictures, the battery died in my camera. It is charging right now, and later today I am going outside for another photo session.

Take a look at all the other entries at the I Made It! Blog Party at Everything Etsy:

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