COPD & Emphysema

As many of you know, I was a smoker for 36 years and quit in September 2007 with the help of Chantix.
Even though I quit, my breathing has gotten increasingly worse. A few months ago I went to see a Pulmonologist and he started me on a few more medications (some inhalers), and ordered lung scans and some blood work. Earlier this week I went back for a f/u and was told I have COPD-Emphysema, he ordered oxygen (delivered and set-up today, actually I'm using it right now) and Respiratory Rehabilitation which I will start this coming week hopefully.
All this and I'm not quite 54 years old - DAMN!!!!
Not everyone that smokes will get COPD (although most will get at least a mild form) or worse yet Emphysema but I was one that did.
I wish I had never lit a single cigarette.

Please Don't Leave Me!!

Forgive me if I don't reciprocate your drops. I will be on an Alaskan Cruise with my husband from 5/11-5/22. I'm taking my laptop but the connections on the ship are painfully slow and very expensive so I'll be lucky to check email and post from time to time.
I promise to post plenty of photos when I get back home.

Blogs Not Accepting Paid Entrecard Ads

I have started a list of blogs that are not accepting paid Entrecard Ads (in my right hand sidebar). If you are not accepting paid ads and would like to be added to this list please leave me a message along with the URL of your blog and I will get it on my list.
I will check the list periodically but if you see a blog on the list that has changed and is accepting paid ads please let me know about this also.

Thanks!

Sucking In My Gut To Get Into a Bathing Suit

We are going on an 11 night Alaskan cruise soon and we've started packing - yeah I have a staging area and packing lists - Lol!!

I've gained a little weight in the recent few weeks (probably about 4 to be exact - weeks not pounds) and I needed a new bathing suit to take (no I won't be out at the pool but I will be in the Therma pool inside the spa area) - well I ordered it from Lands End (took measurements at home and all) but it arrived today and I had to tug the damn thing on. This is a suit that’s suppose to reduce your size 1 (haaahaahaaa - can you hear me laughing) and it's probably done that but in the process I've found it difficult to breath (and the breathing issue is what caused me to gain the weight in the first place - meds for asthma and COPD and early onset Emphesma - damn those cigarettes). I'm sitting here in that form hugging suit trying to stretch it out, hoping to stretch it out cause I just don't want to have to return this for the next larger size. Understand that I've always been a little bits of a thing and my age and health issues have made this different.

Okay, back to the packing.......
Since we live in South Texas and have a few cold weeks out of the year (at least we think they are cold) we don't have much in the way of winter clothing or coats so those have had to be purchased also, so much planning and packing.
This is an 11 night cruise but we are only packing for 5 nights and we're going to utilize laundry and dry cleaning onboard what with the extra cost of luggage and toting lots of luggage through the airport and to the cruise ship. Packing this way is a challenge as there are 2 sets of clothes a day that are necessary and we are only taking 2 carry-ons and 1 check-on bag (in additon to my laptop bag and camera bag).

In addition to the packing, we now need to worry about the Swine Flu as our ship will be coming from a run in South America/Mexico. This is of great concern seeing as both my husband and I have health issues that would be seriously compromised should we be exposed.

This will be our first cruise to Alaska although our 9th cruise overall. Our cruise starts in San Francisco and goes to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Victoria BC and ends in Vancouver. We have 2 major excursions planned and then will be on our own for the other stops. We try to never overdo the sight seeing though as feel the cruise and cruiseship itself is a destination. I will be posting while onboard.

Okay, it's time to pry this suit off my body for now and give the muscles a rest - Lol Again.

32 Years of Wedded Bliss

This was us (and our parents) 32 years ago today.
Young and Naive didn't even come close in expressing our love. My father told me early on to judge how a marriage is going by deciding if there were more good days than bad - and the good days have out weighed the bad many times over.
I love my husband much more today than I loved him the day we married.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

How to Spell Exhaustion

We were fortunate enough to have our Grandson Rudy with us this weekend and I spell exhaustion.........R - U - D - Y
At just over 13 months old he's full of spit and vinegar and you can't take your eyes off him for even a minute while he's awake. Everything he does is wonderful and filled with joy but OMG it's tough! My back is sore and my eyes feel like they have sand in them and yes he slept while he was here and slept well actually but it's the stressful way in which you watch someone so dear.
We had some toys to play with but he had more fun with containers and lids.



This was the nifty portable high chair we got for him that is strapped to an existing chair - worked like a dream.



This was Rudy and I playing with his jack-in-the-box and his baby remote control - don't you know that regardless of how young a man is that he has to have a remote control!!!



Rudy loved sitting in his Grandpa's computer chair and look up at the ceiling fan right above him - Rudy loves ceiling fans of all kinds.



And I also love to open and close the kitchen cabinets, it makes noise and it's something I can do all by myself. Of course he loves it more if he looks around and finds that you're watching him.



This was a little handheld game I keep in the bathroom (yeah I'm a "thinker" in the john) and Rudy uses it like his Daddy's iphone - guess this is another electronics junkie in the making!!



This is probably the gruffest photo I've ever taken of my dear sweet always happy Rudy and just for that reason I have to add it here.

We loved every single minute with Rudy but we're happy we can spoil him rotten to the core and give him back to his Mommy and Daddy - child rearing is definitely a young adults job!!