*Indescribable*

these past few weeks have been that.
Indescribable. in many ways. good, bad, questionable, etc....

i feel as if I'm in "limbo."
doctors trying to figure out what's going on inside my crazy body...
steroids running rampant, trying to do a job....
but as I've said before...I KNOW I'm on this path for a reason.
it's been....
Indescribable.

I really  hate this feeling of being in limbo,
out of control of anything that’s going on inside my body...
I need to just sit and let God handle this...
not myself. it’s too BIG for me.
Indescribable!
One thing I do know is he's been my rock:













he's been the cooker, the cleaner, the dog feeder,
dog walker, laundry do-er, grocery shopper
you name it..he's doing it....
he won't let me do anything!
(well unless I sneak in and do something, like laundry because I just can't sit still!)

he felt so bad for me on valentine's day - I couldn't go anywhere, do anything
(which is actually fine with me...I love just being at my home with him, watching movies, etc...)
he surprised me:

(which is scrapped in the post below)
I'm not lying...I lost it  cried my eyeballs out!
(steroids? who knows...I just know that emotions hit me and I cried like a baby)

anyway...i just have to say how blessed I am...with him:

what we have is completely indescribable
I made this 8.5 x 11 (landscape) layout
(yes, I know I've used that photo before...I'm ok with doing that)
in just ONE hour the other day.
I know...like I said in my post before...
I couldn't believe it! I just grabbed my Jenni Bowlin Jan. add on kit,
my Shimmerz, some other things and went to town.
If you want to check out how I made it, the Shimmerz products I used...
just visit the Shimmerz Blog...

so I'm still hanging in there...
feeling a little better today actually, yay!
hopefully each day is better and we get to the bottom of what's going
on in this crazy body of mine! (well other than what we already know, right?)
tomorrow I get more blood drawn for another white count test...
*nervous*
(which, is also...indescribable.)

have a lovely day everyone,
thank you so much for stopping by.
I appreciate you more than you know!
xo.

*still ticking...*

yes, that's exactly what I'm doing.
I've taken a big ol' lickin'....
but you know what?
I'm STILL tickin'....

just waiting for this round of meds to do their job,
it's the slowest process I think I've ever been through.
BUT...
I was able to finally able to sit and get a few things created, like this:

It's one I did for Glue Arts for Friday's blog post,
using the Little Yellow Bicycle
yummy Cupcake line....
to see directions on how I completed this layout and this card:

visit the Glue Arts blog for complete directions, supplies & everything...
(oh speaking of Glue Arts...
don't forget about the DT call! check it out on the blog!)

here's a little update on me as of today:
--still feel yuck.
but not as yuck as 2 weeks ago when I was in the ER.
it's a different kind of yuck...it's like I can't place what it is I'm feeling.
awful, but not like my deathbed.
I have NO energy. NO strength. NO drive...
these steroids make me shake!
but....
like I've mentioned before...
I would NOT will this on anyone.
If anyone has to go through this? I choose it to be me.

I know I'm going through this for a reason,
and hopefully soon the reason is revealed.
we do know 2 things...I know that had I NOT gone to the ER 2 Saturday's ago...

• I wouldn't have known about what's wrong with my gallbladder (until something major had happened)
• they wouldn't have known I've been suffering from a hiatal hernia.

Wow...see, I really put myself out there.
Good thing I love to blog.
I love to be able to have an outlet to come to share my feelings...
afterall, that's what being real is all about.
I am real.
I'm being the real me and telling everyone who reads here what's been up with me.
It doesn't even matter that this one blog post has taken me almost 2 hours to post, right?
So anyways...
Off I go to take another breathing treatment, swallow my steroids & cough syrup...
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

I'll be back soon to share another layout I actually whipped up yesterday in 1 hour.
I'm serious...I couldn't believe it either.

Oh!!
Hold please...rewind.
...before I go.
Let me show you someone special to me:

I haven't introduced you yet to these precious piggies,
have I?

Someone truly speical to me was born January 26th
and I was able to go meet her
(right before I got SO sick...)
My beautiful, precious niece Taylor gave birth to her absolutely amazing baby girl...

She is Miss Presley Blake P..........
She is a dream come true for her mama, her daddy & for ALL of us.

Her mama is quite a miracle herself.
At 19 years old, she was diagnosed & treated
for cancer (Hodgkins Lymphoma) and was told due to her treatment
& severe side effects suffered from her treatment
(both chemo & radiation at the same time)
that she would  never be able to have children....

God had different plans...

I got to hold her:

(courtesy of my Droid phone)

and tell her that her Great Aunt Leslie will ALWAYS...

always have gum.

(channeling my inner Monica from Friends...hee hee)

AND..

today

is Miss P's 1 month birthday.

She sent this to me...

(courtesy of her mama's iPhone...)
her..."happy 1 month to me!"




















isn't she precious?
she made me a great aunt! 
she makes me smile...
happy 1 month birthday princess!!

I was so thankful my older sister and I got to drive down to Houston, Tx.
to see her...to be with our oldest sister, our niece & family...it was nice.
That's the last time I've seen her!
The very next few days I came down with this crap I have now...

it's killing me she's here in town these next couple of days
and I don't even know if I get to hold her.

So...
now you see why my post today has taken me now over 2 hours.

I have to go take my meds & lie down now...
hugs everyone,
thanks again for all of your well wishes, your notes, thoughts & prayers.
please continue, if you have a sec....
thank you.
xo.

*hanging in, not out....*

yep, that's me.
I'm here.
hanging in.
feel like i'm barely holding on a thread...
taking each day slowly.
afterall....

(photo credit:  pinterest)

I've been getting lots and LOTS
of sweet emails, asking me how I am,
if there's an update on what's been going on with me.

well...

here's my latest update:

• saw my primary on Monday.
• he called in back in after reviewing my Friday labs...didn't like my white count.
• it climbed higher....(it's at 21.4...normal healthy person is 5-8 even 10...)

so, he counseled me,
told me a few things,
asked me a few things
then told me he's moving my pulmonary appt. up from Thurs to Tues
which was yesterday...
this is what my pulmonologist thinks:

• seems to think I'm still suffering lingering effects from my pneumonia/acute bronchitis. 
• put me on a 21 day taper of steroids (3 pills, 2 pills, 1 pill) along with Symbicort. 
•  also discovered I have a hiatial hernia, which is causing GERD and gave me medication to treat that. 

I see him again in 3 weeks. 

due to my high white blood count,

I have another blood in a week for that and see what to do about it. 

and if that wasn't enough?

they discovered something else...something in my gallbladder...but....

They want to get me over this lung thing first. 

They are still quite alarmed about my white count. 

I can't seem to get well!

I've had this crap since the end of January. 

Come to think of it...since December. I was treating it over the counter then.

Today?

I had to go to the dentist....let's just say....ouch.

so I'm off to veg, in my snuggie, watch some tv

and maybe later finish up some assignments....

thank you again for ALL of your prayers, well wishes, notes, kind thoughts

and all of you that have brought delicious meals to us...you have no idea how

much you mean to me!
THANK you.
 I'm beyond touched by all of you.

(photo credit:  pinterest)
word.

i saw this and thought of my sweet mama.

she reads my blog! how cute is she...

love you mama...thank you for all you've done for me.

♥

have a lovely day.

i'll be back soon....

*mending*

today I actually feel as if I'm starting to mend...
it's about time.
Since the end of January I've been downand out with something
that's led to something that's led to something.
Weird.
and...
i'm.so.over.it.
not taking it too fast, taking it slow...
but today?
i actually feel as if i'm starting to mend...

and, to close...
wanted to share:

this layout that I created for Glue Arts for the blog Friday.
using this gorgeous lovebirds line from Fancy Pants

here's the directions on how I created it:
Glue Arts Blog - My ♥ Is Bursting

and a few closer shots:

until next time,
thank you all for your sweet words, prayers and kind thoughts.
they seem to be doing the trick...
keep them coming, please. i'm ready to be 100% again.
xo.

*Even though I feel crummy*

....oh so crummy...
she always makes my day bright...
(especially knowing she's coming home this weekend!)
it's The Classic's week over at American Crafts & I have a couple of
little somethings up over there at the blog:

along with Chin Pooi...go check them out.
lying back down...
thanks so much friends for your sweet get wells.
♥ y'all.

*still down*

for the count....
here's what waits for me every day right now:

::sigh:: it will end soon...right?
then I quickly remember...maybe, just maybe HE has me slowing down for a reason..
I sit, I listen...I am one of HIS so I am listening...
and here's my reminder:

from a very concerned, very loving, very encouraging,
very helpful, not one complaint...husband.
who is in my corner, who's taking such excellent care of me.
as I sit...
and let this healing begin...
and remember once again...
I. AM. ONE. OF. HIS.
and He's reminding me ever so gently to focus on that...

tiny update:
I see a lung specialist next week.
I hope to be breathing 100 percent at least by then!

I'm even going to try to work on some scrapbook projects today.
Can't promise anything...
but I will try.


xo.

*out of commission*

happy ♥ day...
here's a little something I whipped up in all of 10 minutes today
(about all I could stand - see my post below...)
with scraps on my desk for my valentine...(my fabulous husband):

just wanted to update & let you know I'm out of commission for a bit...
remember my acute bronchitis?
Well apparently it wanted to head south into pneumonia...but took a slight curve right...
here's a recap...

• -feb. 4th...sick as a dog, doc said acute bronchitis. given antibiotic & steroid.
• -feb 11th...STILL sick as a dog, doc feared pneumonia. given antibiotic shot new antibiotic (levaquin...which, apparently treats pneumonia and...ANTHRAX?!) & more steroids
• -feb 12th...STILL really sick...doc on duty (it was sat) said she didn't like my lung sound, my raspy breathing, my coughing so she gave me medicine for my nebulizer, a steroid shot plus one more penicillin shot. ouch, my hiney's starting to hurt by now. was told that if my breathing was still labored, get to the ER immediately after breathing treatment. did that...well after I washed a load of jammies.
• still feb. 12th...in ER, blood taken (high blood pressure, probably due to being scared to death), iv given, chest xray, then this WEIRD chest cat scan (injected dye in my iv then went thru this tube ..it was a wild ride, that's for sure!) waiting game....doc comes back (and let me interject here and tell you how firm a believer in the power of prayer I am. this doctor was CONVINCED she heard pneumonia in my lungs. didn't like my cough, etc etc...so she comes back a few hours later and jumps up and down and says...."scans are clear! no pneumonia!!" she said I had a BAD BAD BAD case of acute bronchitis with severe asthma flaring.  so I was sent home, (and was told earlier that I would probably be admitted, so here again...a firm believer in prayer!) so thankful, so loopy from drugs, but thankful I could go home and rest in my OWN bed in my OWN jammies. I'm sorry but hospital gowns, no matter what color they are, just aren't ball gowns! at least my socks matched and green was my color.
• feb 14th... back to the doc for ER follow up. He was a little better with my lung function. No pneumonia, no raspy like before. HOWEVER. I had a 102  fever, short of breath, peak flow meter was 300 at its best and it should have read 500.  More blood was drawn, more tests to determine why the high white count...i'm ordered home to rest, do nothing but sit and veg for a long time. so if you're wondering where I am...that's it. I've been told that the acute bronchitis has turned to SEVERE ACUTE BRONCHITIS with ACUTE ASTHMA FLARE and as scary as that sounds...i'll make it. i'll hear back tomorrow about my blood cultures, my cat scan results and my chest xray results.

that's MY Valentine's day...
I sure hope yours is much healthier.

well, I'm drained....
be back as soon as I can.
xo

*Hearts*

hi friends.
finally....
finally i'm starting to feel somewhat better.
finally...
finally i can sit and post without having to get a drink or my inhaler or lying down...
finally....
thank.you.doctor.and.medicine....
for without you, i'd be nothing other than...still sick
(said in my best Jimmy Fallon "thank you note" voice)

and now let me share a little bit of my heart with you today:

they are up today on the Glue Arts blog...
you can see full instructions and all the supplies I used.
(lots of American Crafts, May Arts, Shimmerz...etc...)

Did you see our winter storm we had last week on the news?
It was crazy!
check out some of the pics:



















straight out of my camera. set on 6400 iso .. taken at midnight. i thought this was so peaceful.

no, he's not shoveling the street...
he's going to shovel my sidewalk:




what a good husband...

pretty sure they're having a ball:

I miss having littles to take pics of in the snow...so the furry littles have to do ;D

my poor palms:

have a great day, friends...

xo.

*Acute Bronchitis*

with an asthma flare up...
which btw...is SO NOT cute.
NOR do I feel very cute having it.
I just got back from the doctor with this diagnosis...yuck.

I just took my meds and am about to lie horizontal for a LONG winter's nap.
(speaking of winter....we sure got our share of winter! snow, ice...yowza.)

before I go, I wanted to share a card with you:

to see the complete directions and supplies used,
visit the Glue Arts blog today...

keeping this short and sweet.
I'm off to get well...

xo.

*Catch The Moments*

recently I was asked by sweet Devon Hickman, the owner of
Catch The Moments Kits to be her February guest.


I was so excited to be able to create these layouts for her
using this beautiful Old School Line by Pink Paislee.
I KNEW the perfect pictures for them:

Sr. Session....

Class Of 2010....


















my son's Senior Photographs ♥
(photography by Andie Smith - eight18photography)

Devon, it was a PLEASURE being your guest!
Thank you SO much for having me!
To all my readers, please be sure to check Devon's kits out, they are gorgeous!

<-----------click to see all her kits & order away!



I'm keeping this short and sweet today...I somehow caught the flu bug
that's going around here...back in my snuggie, back to bed...

xo.