Been a couple months since my last update. I should change that, huh? So, in 2024 thus far, I turned 39 and then (in order of when it occurred):
Frank, my husband, needed to have a ton of dental work done.
He’s feeling a lot better now AND it got him over his fear of dentists. (Thank you, Dr. Thompson!)
My mom finally got in to see a hernia specialist…
…and he was like “Whoa! The other doctors just left you with this?!” and started kicking butt and taking names and got the ball rolling to get Mom better.
When it first appeared, in 2021, Mom had a hernia the size of a golf ball. She kept seeing people and being dismissed until, this year, her original hernia was the size of a watermelon and she’d formed a second hernia the size of a golf ball. We’d been stressed out every day, for years, whenever Mom would reach, lift, bump into something/be bumped into… But things were finally going to be better. (Thanks, Dr. Klein!)
Flex Stuff
Flex the cat had been an absolute nightmare for over a year and it was a total mystery as to why. In October 2022, Flex flipped out on Frank, myself, and Tina (Flex’s mom, our other cat) to the point that paramedics needed to be called and I didn’t have full use of my left hand for about six months.
We got her spayed, and hoped that she was just having a rough puberty. And, of course, after a spat, it can take cats a while to become friends again (re: her and Tina). But she just wasn’t improving. In addition to her attitude and inclination towards violence, her physical health was going down rapidly. Our cat was clearly dying and we had no idea why!
We were told it was her teeth. Which led to her getting 12(!) teeth removed. (Holy cow, Frank, and you thought YOU had a lot going on in terms of dental work!). Other than her breath smelling immensely better, there was little change.
We were then told it was her diet. We changed her foods several times trying to eliminate potential allergens. She got worse. She started vomiting frequently.
Long story (somewhat) short: It was her pancreas.
In addition to a complete diet change, she now has to have a shot once a week (that I have to administer…) of B12. For life.
Flex’s back to a healthy weight, her coat is shiny, and – most importantly – she’s feeling great. Instead of the absolute TERROR nightmare curse of a cat she was, she’s now just the sweetest widdle baby everrrr. And she’s even back to getting along with her mama again.
After 15 months of being afraid for (and sometimes OF) our cat, we finally have our baby girl back.
Albert the Guinea Pig Died
Five years goes by in a flash…
Frank Went Half a Year Without Nicotine
And counting! Frank quit nicotine on August 15, 2023 after 20+ years addicted and is still going strong on his Quit! 🙂
I Cracked My Molar
I’m next in line to go to the dentist this year. It hurts sometimes, but I’m doing okay. I just chew on the other side. Soups are nice.
Mom Got Her Hernia Surgery!
Once the ball got rolling, it got rolling FAST! Mom had her hernia surgery. They put just over two feet of intestines back inside her and added a layer of mesh to keep it in place. She’s recovering well and is already stronger than we’ve seen her in years!
Ralph the Guinea Pig Died
It’s not uncommon for bonded guinea pigs to die very near each other. Ralph passed one month, to the day, after his bestie/brother. He, too, was a senior piggy at five-years-old.
We Attended a Zoom Wedding
A couple of our friends got married and we were able to attend virtually! Insert the “I love technology” song from Napoleon Dynamite here. (Side note: Can you believe that movie is 20 years old this year??).
My Hair Started Falling Out and My Bones Hurt Immensely
Fortunately(?!), this has happened to me a few times and I knew exactly what was going on: I forgot to take my vitamin D.
I got so swept away with taking care of everyone else that I forgot to take care of myself. Oops. Anyway, Olly’s “Hello Happy” Vitamin D gummy worms are awesome. They get the (very important!) job done and are gentle on tummies. I’m not an affiliate (yet?! …I should look into that lol), I’m just a fan.
Also, never let anyone tell you that it’s shameful to wear wigs. I own several both for fun (change your hair color without harmful bleach or dyes!) and for occasions such as this when my real hair isn’t up to snuff.
Mom Got Two New Guinea Pigs
For those who’re unaware, we live with my parents and my mom is the one with the pet guinea pigs (though we all love and care for them). And you might be thinking that this was a rather rapid transition between mourning and welcoming new critters (I certainly did!), but my parents’ room is 1/4 guinea pig cage (seriously – they have a huge set-up for the piggies that takes up one wall of their room!) and it made them sad for it to be empty. And, ultimately, it’s their room and their pigs so we respected their decision and welcomed Mick (black one) and Marty (spotty one) into the family!
I Sprained My Knee
I was so happy to see the sun (it’s been raining FOREVER here!) that we went out for a lengthy walk. During that walk, I side-stepped some poo on the sidewalk and, although I successfully avoided the poo, I stepped onto a rock (I think?!?) and my knee got twisty and went “CRONCH” and… yeah. Ouch.
In addition to RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation), I’ve been using CBD ointment. It’s been a Godsend. Seriously. I don’t know if there’s still any stigma around CBD (most people seem to know better by now), but give it a try if you haven’t and you’re looking for relief from most pains – especially pain that comes with inflammation.
And that brings me to today…
…which was crazy windy and caused a 12-hour power outage in our neighborhood.
In other news, I’ve just been working my regular job (I review products – which doesn’t pay money but I get to keep the products) and I’ve been making sure that my horror website, HorrorFam.com, updates EVERY FRIDAY!
And, of course, I’m super excited both for the return of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd the long-awaited 1.6 update for Stardew Valley!! 😀
So, that’s what I’ve been doing from my birthday (January 7th) until today (March 14th).
How’s YOUR 2024 been so far?
Love,
Lauren*
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