Once again…I am amazed and humbled.  I received another award, and again from an experienced blogger, which I am striving to become.  J.Kaye over a J.Kaye’s Book Blog (http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/)  Thank you so much J.Kaye…it is greatly appreciated
                                                       
                                            
Hope everyone is having a great weekend !!!!!  This was going to be a very short posting.  I admit, this week I went into a reading slump…just couldn’t concentrate with what was weighing on my mind.  I spent more time on the computer than I should have spent but it is what it is.  Now that the decision for surgery has been made (I do feel that one weight is off my shoulders), I plan on taking my own advice and spending today doing nothing more than Relaxing and Reading !!!!!!  I need to catch up.   Am off to my “reading chair”.   Have a great Sunday !!!
                                              

Once again…I am amazed and humbled.  I received another award, and again from an experienced blogger, which I am striving to become.  J.Kaye over a J.Kaye’s Book Blog (http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/)  Thank you so much J.Kaye…it is greatly appreciated
                                                       
                                            
Hope everyone is having a great weekend !!!!!  This was going to be a very short posting.  I admit, this week I went into a reading slump…just couldn’t concentrate with what was weighing on my mind.  I spent more time on the computer than I should have spent but it is what it is.  Now that the decision for surgery has been made (I do feel that one weight is off my shoulders), I plan on taking my own advice and spending today doing nothing more than Relaxing and Reading !!!!!!  I need to catch up.   Am off to my “reading chair”.   Have a great Sunday !!!
                                              

Challenge Wrapups
  1.  Lisa Jackson Challenge   5/10
  2.  Awesome Author   0/3
  3.  RYOB   1/10
  4.  Romance Challenge   0/3
  5.  EBook Challenge   1/6
  6.  Reading From My Shelves   4/20
  7.  Suspense/Thriller   5/12
  8.  Books Won Reading   1/6
  9.  100+ Challenge   5/100
10.  FOMA   1/10
11.  A Buck A Book   5/100
I can’t believe it is almost 3pm here in New England and I am just starting to post. I know I have decided that my weekends were going to be Relaxing and Reading. But today I seem to have one speed and it is reverse…going to try and at least go for neutral.

For those who have been following the blog segment that I started writing about as a cathartic means for me to cope with what I am physically facing, I made a decision yesterday.
MY JOURNEY
After processing all the pros and cons and discussing those with family and friends, the decision was made.  Ever since I looked at my x-rays, I knew, but on an emotional level didn’t want to face.  I made the phone call yesterday to start the process of being prepared for surgery.  I will be getting more details this coming week but they told me that due to the doctor’s surgical schedule and booking for the back to back surgery will probably not be until April.  There is also special criteria for the “2 day surgery” which I will also get details of.  So the decision has been made, the decision that I knew all along that was needed but frightened of.  When personal medical decisions of this proportion need to be made, being a nurse and having the knowledge, makes it so much harder.  So I am going to look on the bright side…that means a few more months of not being able to do much around the house and more time blogging and reading,  and now I know that there will be a light at the end of this painful tunnel.

Hope everyone has a great weekend !!!!!!!!!!!!!   And try to Relax and Read….it’s fun !!!!!!

Challenge Wrapups
  1.  Lisa Jackson Challenge   5/10
  2.  Awesome Author   0/3
  3.  RYOB   1/10
  4.  Romance Challenge   0/3
  5.  EBook Challenge   1/6
  6.  Reading From My Shelves   4/20
  7.  Suspense/Thriller   5/12
  8.  Books Won Reading   1/6
  9.  100+ Challenge   5/100
10.  FOMA   1/10
11.  A Buck A Book   5/100
I can’t believe it is almost 3pm here in New England and I am just starting to post. I know I have decided that my weekends were going to be Relaxing and Reading. But today I seem to have one speed and it is reverse…going to try and at least go for neutral.

For those who have been following the blog segment that I started writing about as a cathartic means for me to cope with what I am physically facing, I made a decision yesterday.
MY JOURNEY
After processing all the pros and cons and discussing those with family and friends, the decision was made.  Ever since I looked at my x-rays, I knew, but on an emotional level didn’t want to face.  I made the phone call yesterday to start the process of being prepared for surgery.  I will be getting more details this coming week but they told me that due to the doctor’s surgical schedule and booking for the back to back surgery will probably not be until April.  There is also special criteria for the “2 day surgery” which I will also get details of.  So the decision has been made, the decision that I knew all along that was needed but frightened of.  When personal medical decisions of this proportion need to be made, being a nurse and having the knowledge, makes it so much harder.  So I am going to look on the bright side…that means a few more months of not being able to do much around the house and more time blogging and reading,  and now I know that there will be a light at the end of this painful tunnel.

Hope everyone has a great weekend !!!!!!!!!!!!!   And try to Relax and Read….it’s fun !!!!!!

OK…Did not expect that I would be posting again today but Beth at The Crazy Life of a Bookaholic Mom (http://bookaholicmom.blogspot.com) threw me a curve ball earlier today that I didn’t see coming.  She commented in 2 segments of my posts.  One was for best wishes as I travel on my medical journey and then a 2nd comment to head over to “her place” to pick up an award.  I am AMAZED…2 awards in a week…..and this one entitled “Prolific Writer”.  I was humbled when I saw who has received this award before me…..those experienced bloggers…..the ones I try to model and strive to be….I take this seriously….I won’t let you down Beth…..and again Thank You for everything.
                                                           
And now the criteria:
Here are the rules for the award

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!
2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.
3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to This Post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.
4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (hoping I can get Mr. Linky to work)

And according to the rules….the torch is being passed……ready?…….you sure?………..to: (in no particular order)
 1. Bermudaonion
 2. Shhh, Im reading
 3. Lesa’s Book Critiques
 4. My Cozy BookNook
 5. Just One More Page
 6. Find Your Next Book Here
 7. Book Chick City
I have sent them an email and hoping they will enjoy their award as much as I have.

This is a day of fun filled Friday Memes and just found one more.  What a great way to spend Fridays (esp not being able to do much else if you read my 1st Friday post)  And today I am adding one more!!

Hosted by An Island Life http://islandlife808.com
From An Island Life: In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
My question is:
  What did you want to be when you “grew up”  and did you choose that profession as an adult?
I would pretend I was a teacher and a doctor’s secretary while sitting at my desk at home.  And as an adult I chose and went to school to become a licensed RN, which I miss working due to the back problems.

http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com
1. Wouldn’t it be easy if we all had a robot maid like the one on the cartoon “The Jetsons”.
2. My prayer will be that if I have surgery, life will be better than ever!
3. I love the taste of double chocolate ice cream with peanut butter and marshmallow toppings.
4. The tv is on and the dog is on the couch in the living room.
5. The first thing we’re going to do is hopefully go on vacation to Aruba, after surgery recuperation.
6. Someone didn’t fully turn off the faucet and all I hear is drip, drip, drip; and it is driveing me crazy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with hubby as we both have had a bad week and maybe even throwing in my comfort food, a sundae from Friendly’s, tomorrow my plans include laundry, blogging, reading, relaxing and Sunday, I want to be a couch potato and read!
This is a new meme that I found via Vicki’s blog ReadingAtTheBeach.com You can always find something great on her blog !!!!!  And her pictures are amazing.

Hosted by Storytime With Tonya and Friends   http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com
Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
Here’s mine:
  The trick was keeping your sanity.  Prison was the safest place for him now.
From my current read Among Thieves by David Hosp

Hosted by Midday Escapades http://www.middayescapades.com/
Welcome to the third Friday Follow celebration hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades! We invite you to join us every Friday to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun.
Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:
* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add to one blog linky.
* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots. We will follow you back.
* Follow as many blogs as you like
* Comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow
* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow
 

OK…Did not expect that I would be posting again today but Beth at The Crazy Life of a Bookaholic Mom (http://bookaholicmom.blogspot.com) threw me a curve ball earlier today that I didn’t see coming.  She commented in 2 segments of my posts.  One was for best wishes as I travel on my medical journey and then a 2nd comment to head over to “her place” to pick up an award.  I am AMAZED…2 awards in a week…..and this one entitled “Prolific Writer”.  I was humbled when I saw who has received this award before me…..those experienced bloggers…..the ones I try to model and strive to be….I take this seriously….I won’t let you down Beth…..and again Thank You for everything.
                                                           
And now the criteria:
Here are the rules for the award

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!
2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.
3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to This Post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.
4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (hoping I can get Mr. Linky to work)

And according to the rules….the torch is being passed……ready?…….you sure?………..to: (in no particular order)
 1. Bermudaonion
 2. Shhh, Im reading
 3. Lesa’s Book Critiques
 4. My Cozy BookNook
 5. Just One More Page
 6. Find Your Next Book Here
 7. Book Chick City
I have sent them an email and hoping they will enjoy their award as much as I have.

First and more importantly, I want to thank those bloggy friends who have emailed me and asked what happened on Wednesday.  Bless you for your kindness !!!  I was planning on blogging about this  “personal journal” item that I created to help me travel down this road.  It is so overwhelming to me that my “new bloggy friends care so much” and are following this blog segment since it isn’t “book” related.  Again…THANK YOU…there are no words to describe what and how your kindness and genuine caring means to me (so sorry…but am tearing up right now…been doing that a lot since Wednesday).  There will be 2 posts again today.  After I post about this very difficult decision that I am facing (worse than I thought), I will be doing what I enjoy most and that are the daily memes that I have joined and gives me the chance to find more great blogs and meet more nice people.  I will try to be as brief as I can with all the info I had to process…….so here goes:
MY JOURNEY
On Wednesday I traveled to Boston for a consult (I was lucky to be seen) as this doc sees patients from the entire U.S. and performs surgery on patients with complicated cases, which I fall under.  He is the 5th doc I have seen over the past few months (being a RN and knowing certain facts, I did not feel comfortable with what the previous 4 said).  I liked him from the minute he walked into the room, introduced himself, and said give me a sec to look at the films, which I have a library of and like my book, go everywhere with me.  However, the news went from good, bad, and absolutely terrifying.  After looking at all the films (CTscan, myelogram,x-rays). His next words were “the good news is I can help you” (thinking…so there is a possible light at the end of this tunnel but it wouldn’t be for another 2-3 months…that’s his surgical schedule).  His next sentence was “looking at you sitting here and then looking at these films, I would never believe the 2 go together.  You have very severe problems (ok….Oh God…its worse than I thought).  He then explained what needs to be done and stated a hospital stay of approx 5 days (thinking…5 days without reading my emails and blogging…my inbox will be overloaded and no blogging…oh no..wonder if I can bring my laptop….there are priorities in life lol) He also told me that if I didn’t have surgery, my symptoms will be spiraling downward at a rapid rate due to what he sees on the films(ok..not good…can’t imagine it getting any worse than it is now)  And then it hit me…what he just explained about what he would do if I chose surgery.  The 1st day he will be making a 5-6” abdominal incision to get at the front of my spine and injecting a protein gel that would create a false disc (for 5 levels) as there is no disc now, just bone on bone, vertebrae on vertebrae (forgot to ask the length of time I would be under anesthesia for this procedure..CRS moment), the next day…back on the OR table (did ask and was told at least 4 hrs and a large incision down my back due to where the damage is) removing the old hardware, try to remove some of the arthritis and scar tissue from last 3 operations, and placing a new rod and screws to the entire area of the lumbar spine.  So there it all is….a very big decision.  My brain is overloaded with all this but have put it in God’s hands…he will help me decide what to do.  And once I know…you will know…..and again thank you for caring…….to be continued………