MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Hello

It's been awhile since I last posted. Nothing has been happening for me so there's nothing really to report. I'm still trying to find employment. At this point I'll take anything that comes my way. There are several custodian jobs that are going at area school districts that I've applied to. I even applied at Walmart. Hopefully someone will call soon.
Last week we finally got rain and it was a lovely sight. It hadn't rained for months and months. This drought has been hard on everyone; especially the farmers. Thank you Lord for the rain!!

thyroid update

I have an update on my thyroid condition. The doctor wants me to see an endocrinologist and she also wants to start me on a low dose of thyroid medication. She is doing this at the bequest of the endocrinologist so more nodules won't grow on what's left of my thyroid. Soon I'll be going in to see this new specialist. As of right now I don't know exactly why this new specialist wants to see me. When her office calls I'll find out more. I'll keep updating my blog as things progress.

thyroid cancer

I went for my follow-up yesterday and found that the cyst was cancerous. However, they removed the right thyroid so the cancer is gone. I have to go back in six months for a check up but for right now I'm okay. I have healed nicely and am feeling very good under the circumstances. I do not need thyroid medication because I still have the left side and that is what's functioning for me. I credit diet and exercise for my feeling as good as I do because if I was still obese I wouldn't be in as good of shape as I am now. I give glory and honor to God for my weightloss success as well as the success of my surgery. Diet and exercise makes all the difference in the world.

feeling better

Glory to God!! I had my thyroid surgery yesterday morning and by the evening time I was able to go home. The surgeon removed the cyst and right thyroid. Both are going to be sent off to pathology to see if they are cancerous. If they are then I will have to have additional surgery to remove the rest of my thyroid. I am confident though that no cancer will be found. I will find out either way this Thursday when I go for a follow-up with the surgeon.
My throat and neck are sore and there is redness at the site but that is normal. I have to cough to clear my throat because it feels like a have a cold- other than that everything is okay. It does hurt to swallow but this will subside soon.
I appreciate all the prayers that everyone has been sending up for me. Please keep 'em coming!

Thyroid surgery

On Monday, June 22nd I go in to have my thyroid removed. Earlier in the year they found a growth and to be on the safe side my doctor wants me to have a thyroidectomy. Since I have a family history of thyroid problems it is best. I'm not looking forward to this of course but it will be nice not to have a lump in my throat or feel like I'm choking. My symptoms have been mild compared to some. I have been having problems regulating my body temperature and I've been tired a lot. I've told several people that there's no telling how bad I would really feel if I hadn't lost all the weight I have lost. Just because you can lose weight does not mean that you don't have thyroid problems. I had been suspecting problems for a few years but it wasn't till the lump in my throat became more noticeable that I felt compelled to seek medical advice- I'm glad I did. May I add that my thyroid blood work that was done back in February showed no problems even though I have a huge goiter. It is different for everyone and not all cases are identical. Seek medical help if you suspect thyroid problems.
Please keep me in your prayers.

Skinny Mini

I wanted to post this picture of myself that was taken on Saturday, May 23rd at my sister's house. I'm standing in one of the pant legs of the jeans I used to wear. I have lost 150 pounds and only have 20 more to go!! I have always wanted to do this.

Pandora's Easter egg hunt

Easter morning I hid 6 plastic eggs with cat treats inside and Pandora has found all but two of them. When she finds an egg she taps it and when that happens the egg opens and the treats go flying. Needless to say it's a nice surprise for her. I have yet to take pictures of this event because I never know when she's going to find an egg. I was going to go around the house with her and help her find them but of course this has not worked out that way. Nothing ever does when you plan anything that involves a feline. That's one of the joys of being owned by one. ;-)
Anyway, it's finally raining!! YEA!!!!! We have needed rain for months now and we're finally getting it in droves. It has stopped for now but no doubt it'll start up again. Thank you Lord for the water!

Happy Easter

I hope everyone is having a great week. Easter is around the corner and I'm getting ready for it. Sunday I'm going to have an Easter egg hunt for my Pandora. I'm going to hide cat treats in plastic eggs around the house and then we're going to go on a hunt. I'll take pictures and upload them for your enjoyment.
Not much else going on. It's hot here right now. I think of my distant family members up north and what they're going through right now with snowstorms, ice and freezing temperatures and it makes me thankful for living so far south.
Happy Easter!

Thyroid

Recently I have been diagnosed with a cyst on my right thyroid. This is going to result in a surgery to remove the affected side. I am in the process of raising money to pay for a third of it for without that the surgery cannot be scheduled. I am very lucky to have the support system that is around me. This past weekend the ladies at the local Methodist church organized a rummage/bake sale and this raised quite a bit of money. Without their help I would not have been so successful in raising money. Believe me when I say that rummage sales are huge undertakings and utilizing effective organizational skills is the key to its success. Not only did they organize it but they also donated many items to be sold in the sale. I am going to have another rummage/bake sale next month. I'm rummage sale savvy now!! I also have the prayers of my parish priest that is being offered daily for my healing. All this coupled with my families' prayers and support has put me in good hands. Please keep me in your prayers.

Pandora's birthday

On Tuesday, March 10th, is Pandora's 2nd birthday. Please send her warm birthday wishes on that day.

Pandora

On Saturday, February 7th my sister adopted a cat for me from the Dorothy O'Connor Pet Adoption Center in Victoria, Texas. She is a sweet little thing. She is a slightly older cat although she's very small so no one wanted to adopt her. I'm glad they didn't because she is the best cat alive! Her name was Andora but I put a P in from and made it Pandora. My sister took a picture of her on Sunday. She is very photogenic. I'm so happy she is my cat. Julius likes her a lot too. Who wouldn't like her? She is so sweet!!

Winter X Games

Who is watching the Winter X games? I have been and the competition is pretty stiff. I didn't know that snowmobiling is a sport but there it's been on every night. I enjoy the Winter trials and by what I've been seeing it'll be interesting to see who goes to the Winter Olympics next year. Tune in.

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. We did. I'm not much for going anywhere and I'm usually tucked in my bed by 10pm. This year we had a nice fellowship at my church. I enjoyed it very much.

I pray that we all have a safe and prosperous new year.

Time flies

It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone and we're hurtling towards the new year. What a year 2008 has been. I'm looking forward to 2009 and what it might bring. The new year is always a time for excitement because you don't know what is in store for you.
Anyway, we spent Christmas at my sister's and we had a lovely dinner. Her cat Boots was as crazy as ever. He's such a sweet boy. He was so excited Christmas day- jumping in the wrapping paper and hopping from chair to chair it is almost like having a human child. Boots is a lot of fun and I'm happy that he's a part of our family. Ours is so small and since my niece isn't a little kid anymore Boots really livens things up with his antics. I'll be spending a few days with them this coming week so I'm sure he'll be lively entertainment. For Christmas I got him a weasel ball. It's a soft weasel toy animal that's attached to a plastic ball. You open it up to install the battery and to turn it on. He didn't know what to make of it! He'll get up the courage to attack it in the next few days I'm sure. With that cat it's always a Kodak moment!
Julius is doing good. He's out and about right now. Santa Claus brought him special seafood cat treats and he really likes them. He doesn't care for animals and those balls that has the bells in them. I guess he's too old and mature for that silly stuff. Oh well, I love my Julius. He's a sweet cat and after 17 months of being with us he's finally getting comfortable with us. It's about time! Sometimes it takes cats longer to warm to humans than others. I'm glad he's my cat because he's very special. Whereas Boots is silly Julius is very serious.
Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas holiday. Have a safe and Happy New Year y'all!

Merry Christmas!

I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Time certainly flies and before we know it it'll be 2009! I hope everyone is keeping sane these days. During these hard times it is best to remember that it doesn't matter how much money we spend as long as we are with the people we love. And, if you cannot afford to give much you can give your time, there are many places to volunteer. One of which is a nursing home; the residents love to have visitors. So take some time to volunteer your time.
Peace everyone.

What's new?

Hello. I've been so busy substitute teaching and keeping up with my online courses that I haven't had much time to come here and maintain my blog. Since the last time I posted a lot has happened and one thing that has happened is we have a new president. America's first bi-racial president. It is a historic time for Americans and the rest of the world is watching us now. This election was truly a first because not only did we have the first bi-racial candidate but we also had a woman vice-presidential candidate. Wow! Now that history has been made there is no telling where it will lead us. We should keep McCain and Palin in our prayers as well as president-elect Obama and Mr. Biden. We should also keep President Bush in our prayers as he leaves the White House for other endeavours.
Julius is doing well; he may be doing a little too well. He's eating too much because he's looking all bloated so I'm going to help him cut back on his caloric intake by modifying his portions. He could be packing it on more because of the ensuing winter months but you couldn't tell it by the weather we're having right now. Even though it's November you couldn't tell it by the summer-like weather we are still having in central Texas. I wish it would get cooler. I'm tired of warm, sunny weather but no doubt if I lived up north I'd be complaining about the cold weather. People are never satisfied.
Anyway, hope everyone is doing well. Thanksgiving is almost upon us so that's something to look forward to. See ya later!

Thanksgiving is almost here

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. Time is evaporating. I have been busy with my online courses and substitute teaching. I began subbing a month ago for my local school district. It has been very educational and I am meeting many wonderful people and the students are great. Sometimes I think I learn more from them than they do from me. That's life; one never stops learning.

If you haven't done so already don't forget to vote tomorrow. Voting is very important. This is a very important election this year. Not only do we have the first African-American presidential candidate but we also have the first female vice-presidential candidate so this truly is a milestone in American history. Get out there and exercise your constitutional right!

Who do you support?

Since the presidential election is less than two months away people need to be mindful of who and what they support. If you're not careful you could inadvertently be supporting the wrong candidate. Your money could end up in their coffers. Taking the time to find out about your favorite actor, singer or entertainer's choice of candidate is very important right now. It's also important to find out about the places you shop. What agendas do they support? I for one don't want my money going to a candidate who I feel is not qualified to lead the nation. It is best practice to research this and know who supports who because in the end you're supporting them too.

Hurricane Ike update

The area in which my sister and her family lives in was spared from Hurricane Ike. The many prayers that were offered up for them was answered. Even though there is major devastation for parts of Texas and Louisiana where she lives was virtually left untouched- they didn't even receive winds and rain. Those areas which are devastated need continued prayers. Please remember them.