OK, my parents took dh and I on a cruise to Canada last week. The cruise was nice, very quiet compared to the normal high pitch tones of pre-teens and teens at my house. At every stairway and entrance into an area with food, they had someone there to squirt hand sanitizer on you. You couldn't get in without washing up first. Of course I had to take some pics of the hand sanitizer posts, because they were everywhere, like Starbucks!
I am still in a cast and unable to walk, so I was unable to leave the ship and go on a small boat (tender) to reach the mainland. It was ok, time alone, time to reflect and time to try and organize some of 3000 photos on my laptop.
I never left the ship until it was time to disembark, we played scattegories (and won), and I took 2 classes on scrapbooking. We also played visual trivia, which was fun. It was also nice to be away from constant cell phone calls. We left Yakima for Seattle, Monday September 28. The celebrity Mercury left port at 5:00 p.m. We got over 20 phone calls from the kids before we left shore! Which made the beginning of our trip uneasy at the least. I was worried sick....
The two weeks prior to our cruise, my oldest son got his first speeding ticket. My neice who offered to watch my mom's house and my two girls came down with the swine flu a week prior to departure. My youngest daughter was having major anxiety over me leaving and 2nd oldest daughter watched Titanic for the first time and got hysterical that we would even think about going on a ship. So, I spent a lot of the week before the trip putting out fires and calming kids down. God was definately with us, and everything was smooth sailing. I'd love to go on another cruise, but I'm not sure how to swing the cost with 5 kids. That will be another obstacle to overcome - finances...especially with unsurmountable medical bills.
Right before we were to leave on our cruise, I got a letter from my general practicioner and his office stating that he was no longer going to practice medicine at that facility and that my family had been put into a lottery, and another care giver had been assigned to us. I was in shock and disbelief! The Monday, prior to the letter, I had been to see my GP to fix my cast which had broken underneath my toes and provided no support for my poor little toes. After reading his letter, it sounded like it was a last minute decision. Still I was in shock and awe. Shocked because I trust him so much, he has been with me through all of my medical issues and complications. It is so hard to find someone whom you can trust in the medical field. Doctors are under the thumb of HMO's and the government and they work way too hard with their hands tied, so that they can't always treat patients the "best way" but the best way for the insurance companies. I admire his moral values, and the fact that he is standing up for himself and his patients rather than folding under the pressure of others. He is going to work out in the community and do some house calls, to help the needy. That is awesome! He is also working on a website, so that people can contact him with questions. You can bet, I've been bombarding him with questions; and I also get answers! Which is even better!
Unfortunately, even though I can talk to him, the state has not given him a new license so that he can prescribe medications. I got back from my cruise and had only 2 pain pills left. Since my doc had left, I couldn't ask him, I called our "new doctor" whom never returned my phone call, and I couldn't call my foot doctor in Seattle since he is on vacation. MY GP suggested I go to the ER, but I am really leary about that. They treat me like a drug seeker and I DON'T appreciate that. They don't know my medical history and if they did, then maybe they would be a little more compassionate. So, I have been off of my pain medication for almost a week now. I HATE withdrawel symptoms! I'm cold, irritable, tired, and anxious. The worst should be over, but who knows what is around the next bend.
It is horrible to be feeling anxious, skin crawling, irritable (from withdrawel) AND to have pain on top of it is just not my idea of fun. I have fibromyalgia in addition to many other issues, and was told that narcotics often make fibro pain worse. Well, I'm here to tell you that in my body - IT HURTS without the narcotics, it actually hurts worse, especially in my hip and neck. I already take Alleve and Extra Strenth Tylenol, but that just doesn't cut it. I'm hoping that next week I will get more answers. Please keep me and my family in your prayers. Hugs, Shellie
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