Flying Pigs ~

Gretchen has finally agreed to go to an inpatient facility.  It is called Remuda Ranch and is located in Virginia.  She is not happy about it, but at least she will be there.  The program is 60 days (usually 40, but she needs the added time) and she will be admitted in a couple of weeks.  I am not sure if this will change anything, but we want her to give it her best shot.  She will probably be moving out on her own soon after returning,  After that, it will be up to her to carry on with the recovery process or submit to the eating disorder again. 

This is a huge move in the right direction and we are leaving it up to God to use this opportunity as He will. Thanks to all who have prayed for this.  Please continue to pray, as the hardest work for Gretchen will begin on the day she arrives.

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As I was driving to Dryden along Rt. 38 yesterday, I spotted the usual huge flock of Canada geese in the flooded George Jr. field.  However, I also saw many white birds that I assumed, at first, to be gulls.  After a closer look on the way back, I realized that the gulls looked remarkably like white geese with black markings and what I was actually seeing was a large flock of snow geese.

Henry's brother Ivan happened to be stopping by for a quick overnight visit and told us that there have been an unusual number of snow geese spotted in NJ this winter due to large amounts of available food.  According to the Audubon Bird Book, eastern snow geese winter south of NY and are, in fact, the same species as the gray goose, found on the west coast. 

Today, there were a group of people with very large, expensive looking cameras snapping pictures of the same flock.

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Imagine, if you can, laying in a strange bed with a handful of wires attached to various parts of your body, twisted into a bunch atop your pillow.  Imagine being in a dark room with a total stranger listening in on all sounds you make, even as low as a whisper.  Imagine having to be assisted in traveling to the bathroom by the same stranger.

If you can do all of this, you have some idea of what a sleep study is all about.  After suspecting that I had sleep apnea, my Dr suggested that I have a sleep study done.  I have trouble staying awake most days and am told that I snore loudly enough to wake the dead.....all symptoms. 

After arriving at the hospital at 10pm, I spent another hour being hooked up to wires.  They were attached to my scalp, fingers, chest, abdomen...even my upper lip!   I was then supposed to have a "normal" nights sleep while being monitored from an unseen location.  My favorite part was when I needed to plead quietly into the darkness that I needed to use the bathroom.  A technician appeared at my door, unplugged me from my monitoring system and helped me into the bathroom, where I discovered how difficult it is to use the toilet while juggling a giant squid of tangled wires.

The upshot of this experience is that I need to do this again, only with a C-PAP machine (another type of giant plastic squid) attached to my face.  I do indeed have sleep apnea.  I stop breathing 64 times an hour during the night, according to my silent night monitor, making it difficult to get enough oxygen to my brain. (No wise comments, Henry)

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I have discovered the wonderful world of medical massage.  When my physical therapist recommended it, I thought "Yeah sure. Another bizarre Zen-like Ithaca experience and a complete waste of time and money." How wrong could I be?  Oh, so very wrong indeed.

I only agreed to it because it was a medical recommendation that was supposed to work in concert with my physical therapy.  I walked into the room and the lights were dimmed, candles were lit and Andreas Vollenweider was quietly playing in the background.  My first thought was "Please! Not some Eastern mystical nonsense."  Then I started to relax, just standing there and thought "Actually, this isn't too bad.  This is sort of nice"  I then proceeded to shed clothing ( being left alone for modesty sake)  The message itself concentrated on my lower back and legs, ending up with a brief foot massage.  It was the most incredibly wonderful experience.  After 30 minutes, I was so relaxed, I could hardly walk.  I felt, literally, drugged.  I was beginning to wonder if I would be able to drive home.

I eventually made it home and proceeded to walk around the rest of the day with a stupid grin on my face.  Back pain?  Pshaw!  Stress and anxiety?  What's that?  I know I will eventually come down from this high, but who cares?  I get to go back next week :)

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Beautiful, ice-covered trees, bushes and fences met me this morning as I wandered out for my 7am physical therapy appointment.  Fortunately, the roads were not icy as well.  This sight reminded me of my childhood in North Jersey.  Ice storms happened frequently during the winter.  I remember trying to walk to the bus stop over 1/2 inch thick ice covering my snowy yard.  The ice was thick enough that you couldn't break the crust.  It made for interesting, impromptu Ice Capade shows for the neighbors.

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Pandora is also interested in the Turdus migratorius.  Yum, yum!

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Rockin' Robin, tweet, tweet, tweet!

There is hope, folks.  Spring is coming.......

Yes, I just saw one today in Lansing.  Poor little thing.

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Today was comparatively quiet after last week.  Drove Gretchen to appointments, school and work.  Spent some time with Petra on school work.  We are doing a study on World War II at her request.  We found a very nice book in the Tompkins County Public Library in the children's section that uses primary sources to tell the story of WWII from the American viewpoint.  It is titled American Voices from World War II by Adriane Ruggiero.  Apparently, it is one book in a series that also covers colonial life, the Revolutionary War, westward expansion, Civil War and WWI and II etc.

The reading level is a little juvenile, but the content is good.  We are also watching a series of documentaries that seem to cover the same events and time period.  Very nice.

I have also finished updating my resume and wrote a cover letter for a job that has been posted several times at Dairy One.   I am not really in the market now, but I figure it could never hurt to let them know I will be available this summer.  Who knows?

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"OK.  That's it. This is the last straw."

  That is what I said last Saturday when our hard drive crashed.  Since then, Gretchen has had a car accident (she's OK, the car is not), we had an anorexia nightmare experience shopping for bridesmaid's dresses, my physical therapy appointment was snowed out (so I am still in extreme pain), I had an emotional meltdown, I have spent the week in my car driving Gretchen everywhere she had to go, I spent 5 hours last night in the emergency room because I was having chest pain (more pinched nerves in my back) and then my washing machine died and was resurrected (temporarily?). 

So....how was YOUR week?

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