BRACE PICTURES

Here's a few pictures of my Figure 8 Brace......

OK LETS TRY THIS... AGAIN!

OH VEY!

I know, I know it's been a long time since I posted anything.... Again!

I promise I really am going to try to keep up this time but you know how that goes!

Since my last post I continued working and going to school. There was nothing really new to report just the same ole stuff day in and day out.

But then everything changed on April 1st!

I woke up to the most excruciating pain all through my right shoulder and my collarbone and chest area. It was awful. I couldn't do anything but sit and cry. I assumed to was a bad muscle flare up due to the Fibromyalgia and I already had a scheduled apt with my Dr on the 10Th so I figured I would deal with it till then since all the reading and researching I did pointed to a muscle flare up. I worked a few more days and then couldnt do it anymore. I started to call out of work and did nothing but stay home and cry. No matter what I tried to sooth it, it didn't work.

Finally the 10Th rolled around!

The Dr listen to me and then felt the are and concluded that I was right and it was a muscle flare up. At this point the shoulder hurt so bad I couldn't pick it up and it started to droop and literally hang almost at breast level. I looked completely lop-sided. Dr gave me a note to cover my missed days and we both agreed I would go back to work the next Monday and try it. He also increased my muscle relaxers and Lyrica.

I was back at work for only two days and I knew something was wrong. I now was crying at work constantly and making my co-workers a little uncomfortable. I couldn't do anything, heck I could barely move. Half way through my second day back my sister took me to the local ER. They did x-rays and found out the I had separated my AC Joint about an inch and a half. However the lady told me it was no big deal (as I'm sitting there crying histarically) and I should go back to my Dr. She gave me a few Percocets and wrote me out of work another three days.

I had an apt scheduled back at my Dr's in a few days for an injection to help bring the swelling down so I brought my x-rays then. He said he had never seen a separation so big and immediately sent me to get a figure 8 brace to try to pull my shoulder up and see if it would heal naturally. He also wanted me to do some Physical Therapy. Within three sessions the Dr stopped it cuz it wasn't helping and he was afraid it would separate further. My instructions were to continue wearing brace and to do nothing but rest until my next apt on May 11Th.

Oh did I mention I am of course out of work.... Again!

It's become a big issue since I went back out of work six months from my last leave (I was two weeks shy of six months), they have to review to see if it is the same injury as last time.

Oh did I mention it was same shoulder..... Again!

It was so much fun the first time I thought I would do it again. LOL. So yea it's under review cuz they need to determine if its a new issue. It actually is cuz last time it was Rotator Cuff and this time AC Joint. They now owe me over a months pay. I talked to long term lady a few days ago and she said they brought in a nurse case manager and she cant say officially but it looks like its gonna be ruled a new claim, they are only waiting on x-ray report to make final decision.

OK now here's the difference...

If I go back to Long Term then I get 60% of my pay and I need to start paying my health insurance again ($400 month). Plus they also want me to apply for SSI since I've been on that claim for almost two years. Now if its ruled a new claim then I start from begining and get 100% of my pay for 3 months and Costco continues to pick up health insurance. So as you can see I'm very anxious for a Short Term ruling!

Now back to the Dr. I went on the 11Th and had no improvement. Well that's not entirely true, the initial crying all the time pain is gone and now the shoulder/collar bone just throbs and aches all day everyday and it kills. I don't know if I'm just used to pain or it's a different type of pain now?! The shoulder is also not hanging so low, it still droops a bit but much better. Alot of the swelling has also gone down so I can now stick my finger in the "hole". Dr said obviously it won't heal by itself and he referred me back to my Shoulder Surgeon, unfortunately the apt isn't until June 17Th.

In the meantime I'm suppose to rest. I can wear brace if I want, some days I do and some I don't. I just don't think it helps, I did wear it for 4 weeks straight and it did nothing.

Back to being out of work and bored.... Again!

FINALLY AN UPDATE!

Hell Everyone!

Yes I'm still alive!! LOL

The last few months have been completely insane and after many emails wondering where I went, I'm back. Now I can't promise that I'll update my blog as much as I use to but my goal is going to be at least once a week!

HHHMMMM Where to start?!

I've now been back to work for almost three months. Things are still tough everyday but I've figured out a little system that works for me. Although my job does require alot of lifting, I try to do it in steps so it's not a complete shock to my body all at once. For example... I need to purchase supplies for the Photo Lab from the store steel every week. Normally you do one big pull for the week on Monday but I buy a little each day and it seems to work for me.

I get to the store around 8 each day and I go pull whatever it is I might need and then I push it up to the Lab on a flatbed and let it sit there for awhile. Then one of two things usually happen... I wait a few hours to let my body recover from the morning lifting and then unload it all and put it away or sometime when one of my staff get in, they'll unload it and put it away.

Then during the day I only have to lift the paper magazines in and out of the machine depending on what the member orders. Since business is slow this time of year, I only have to lift 20-30 times a day vs continuously. My girls do most of the other "heavy stuff" like my Debby BeBe takes care of filling all the chemical tanks and Natasha does alot of the heavy maintenance and cleaning. I am so fortunate to have such great friends that work for me!! Thanks Girls I couldn't do it without your help!!

Now on to school...

I actually love learning new stuff so I think it's alot of fun! I'm almost through with my second semester and only have four more to go plus my internship. I've been studying like crazy and am fortunately doing very well. I even pulled a 4.0 my first semester!! WoopWoop!! This semester my grades are just as good but back in December I missed a few classes because I was in so much pain so I'm not sure how that will affect my grade. I know attendance counts for like 25% of your grade in each class so I'm curious what my average will be when the semester ends next week.

Although it is alot of work, I know that in the long run it will pay off. I haven't decided though exactly when I will leave Costco. I know that my body can't continue to work there for another 30 years so I'm going to school so I will have a back up for when I'm medically forced out. It's a wait and see situation.

Now as far as my health goes...

Mentally I feel great! I try to keep a super friendly positive attitude everyday so that my body aches and pain don't wear on me. I'm just in so much pain everyday. Since my last blog post I've had numerous injections in my back and nothing has helped and things are hurting more and more. My Dr has finally said that he is pretty positive that I do have the Fibromyalgia like I thought I did plus I also have a condition called Myoplacia which is parlysis of the upper thigh muscles. All this means is that my thighs constantly feel numb and tingly. I have various sensations like this all over my body.

Unfortunately at this point he said there's not much he can do for me except treat me with prescriptions. I told me I can play around with my Lyrica, like try taking an extra in the middle of the day or two at night instead of one plus he also prescribe a different muscle relaxer because the last one did nothing for me. The new one actually helps me sleep better. He said I could take it during the day but since it makes me so sleepy at night I haven't dared! The next step he said we could try was Botoxing all my muscles. This sounded funny to me since I've only heard of it ever being used for wrinkles but apparently he said that it parylsis the muscle so they stop contracting and stop hurting. He said exspecially in my back that it may help with my limping problem.

I guess we'll wait and see! Well that's it for now but I promise I'll take the time to update this more often!!

THIS AND THAT

School is going very well so far. I've been out so long that it's defiantly taking some getting use to. I've been studying really hard so that I make sure to really comprehend everything.

I think my Medical Terminology class is the hardest so far. It's probably mostly due to the fact that we got off to a rocky start. I'm not sure what really happened but the rumor is that our teacher quit right before our class started so for the first three classes we didn't really have a teacher. The school tried to find substitutes but none really fit the bill.

The best was this woman came in to interview for a job and they threw her right into our class. She was very nice but her daytime job was a gym teacher for first graders and she couldn't even pronounce the words we were suppose to be learning. Needless to say she has never been back to teach our class. They finally settled on the same teacher we had for our coding class and I love her. She's very funny and easy to learn from and she doesn't mind the endless supply of questions we come up with!

My pain level isn't going as well as school is. I've been trying to make the most of it because I know it'll only get worse once I start work next week. Not only is my back and legs killing me (I don't think the hard chairs in school help any) but my neck is acting up even more, probably because I'm always bent over a book reading or studying. I just keep trying to make myself as comfortable as possible and work through the pain. I know I can do it!

On a sad note my brother-in-laws grandma passed away on Saturday morning. Poor Abeula :(

She was such a nice lady with a great spirit but has been very sick for a very long time. As sad as it is, I'm glad that she can now rest in God's peace and never have to suffer again. The wake is scheduled for this evening 5:30-10. I get out of school around 9:30 so I'm gonna try to make it before it's over. If I don't at least I'll be at the funeral tomorrow morning.

God Bless you Abeula, May you rest in peace :)

FIBROMYALGIA??

Gosh, I really have been bad about keeping this blog updated. I like to try to post 3-4 times a week but lately things have been a little crazy for me.

I went to the Dr last Fri and he doesn't think there's much he can do for my muscle pain however my back did concern him some. I've been experiencing new pains and numbness all over different parts of my body. I told him about the numbness down my right leg and he had me stand while he pushed every little thing that hurt in my back, I swear he hit the spots right on. Then he checked my reflexes and the one in my foot was non-existent so he ordered an MRI. I went and had it done last Sunday but don't go back to Dr until 30Th to find out results. At least the wait isn't that long, it's usually much worse at this office.

Meanwhile I've been doing some research online about Fibromyalgia. Both my Mom and my sister have it and I have all of the same symptoms. For those that don't know, it's a disease where your muscles and nerves constantly hurt, it travels to various parts of the body and also comes with many other symptoms. I'm sure that's what I have but it's an awful condition and unfortunately lifelong so I've been in denial up to this point praying it's something else. I am on medicine for it currently just in a lower dose than normal. Since there is no test for Fibromyalgia many Dr's don't believe in it, my luck has it mine is one of those. My sister keeps telling me to go to her specialist and he'll help me but the problem is that although my Ins. Co. doesn't require a referral, the specialist does since his practice is so booked.

I'm going to try to get a referral from different Dr. I'm also going to attend my sisters next appointment with her on the 30Th. Hey you never know it could get me in the door!

Besides being in pain ;( I've been busy working on my secret. Don't worry it won't be a secret for much longer. It's not a shocker or a big deal or anything, I just need to tell some people first! It's going well so far, lots of hard work and I'm really tired and in super pain but it'll be worth it in the long run!

THIS AND THAT

I've been so bad about updating my blog lately. I'm still not feeling any better and can't wait for my appointment on the 10Th to find out what we can try next. I have a feeling this Dr has given up hope and is ready to pass me off to another specialist. I'm trying to stay optimistic and hoping that eventually someone will figure out something that will help.

In the meantime I've just been trying to walk more and just get out of the house in general. My thinking was if I tried living life semi-normally again then maybe I would feel better too. If anyone has any other suggestions please help!

I just scheduled a meeting with Costco as well for the 20Th to go over my restrictions and to see if they can get me back into any position. I'm hoping for my original job since that has a more set schedule than other departments.

If also started this new adventure that will be taking up alot of my time. For now I want to keep it a secret. It's not a big deal or anything just want to keep it to myself for the next month or so to see how things go and then I'll share with all of you!

Wish me luck!!

PAIN UPDATE

I'm still in pain. So far there's been no relief from the Injection. I am extremely disappointed since I expected to feel at least a little better by now. They do say it could take up to two weeks to work so I guess it's a waiting game...

THIS SUCKS :(

BACK INJECTION

I went this morning for my Injection. The procedure wasn't as bad as my mind imagined it to be. They had prescribed Valium to take an hour ahead of time but it did nothing for me and when I took a look at the dosage after the procedure I noticed it was only 10mg, No wonder why it didn't help!

I got there at 9 and was brought into a room with a bed and a big machine over it. I pulled down my pants some and layed face down on the bed. The nurse cleaned the area and briefly described the procedure and called the Dr in.

He placed a needle against my skin(actually right between the very top of my butt crack) and asked if I could fell it and I said yes. He then told me that there would be no surprise sticks and he would walk me through it. The first step was using some sort of injected dye with the help of the large X-Ray machine to make sure they were going into the right spot. I then got a bunch of Novocaine Injections which hurt like hell and then he said he was done.

So I'm thinking that wasn't so bad and the rest will be easy. Well I was in for a surprise, when he said he was done... he meant DONE! I had to hang out in the waiting room for 10 min to make sure I didn't have a reaction to anything and then was told to rest the remainder of the day and ice frequently.

My status now is PAIN!

The Novocaine has worn off and my whole back hurts and my right leg has pain shooting down it and is kinda numb and tingly.

I need to go lay down again, I will update again soon!

INJECTION DECISION

I've officially decided to go with the injection in my lower back first. I called and it's scheduled for Sept 25Th.

After a conversation with Human Resources when I forced to play a little hard ball, I was told if Dr submitted letter that I was having an injection and my next follow up date that Costco would extend my leave until mid-Oct but no later.

I'm hoping this shot gives me some relief fast!

MEDICAL 9-12

Once again I'm behind in my postings. I haven't really done much at all lately due to Back Pain (as if I wasn't already in enough pain with my Neck/Shoulder). I just haven't been able to sit at the computer much. It's been so bad that I haven't even been to CVS!

I did go to the Dr this week and let me tell you I'm pretty frustrated with the whole thing. My Dr just seems to never really listen to me. I understand that he sees alot of patients every day but I feel like I just get shuffled in and out and it's not only him, I've seen probably 10 different Dr's since this has started and they're all the same in this area :(

Now I try to make it easier for the Dr, I always bring a typed update on what has been going on with me since my last visit. When I went Wednesday Dr Cooper read the update and then looked at me and said "I don't remember you mentioning Back Pain before". I explained that if he dug through my chart he would notice it was on the initial forms I filled out plus I have mentioned it at the last 2 visits since it has started getting much worse. He then looked at me and said "Aren't the Muscle Relaxers helping?" HELLO Earth to Dr Cooper... First you don't remember me complaining about Back Pain and now you ask about Relaxers??!! Where does he think I got these Relaxers since he is my Dr and obviously didn't give them to me? Ummmm No the Relaxers aren't helping because you never gave me any!

He then promises to call in a Script for me. My next question was "How are we going to get rid of this pain before I lose my job?"(I've now been out 19 months and Costco is on verge of firing me). Dr Cooper looks at me and says "Why aren't you back to work yet?" Once again HELLO Earth to Dr.... Since your my Dr, your the one that has to release me back to work and you haven't because I can't lift much.

At this point I'm thinking this guy doesn't listen to me at all! I'm not sure what to do though, Do I switch Dr's again and start all over or grin and bear it since all the Dr around here seem to be the same??

Dr Cooper then says he's not sure how much more he can do for me. What?? You haven't done anything at all yet. He says that it's not like I'm dying from cancer or something and these may just be pains I have to live with. I was then given 3 choices and told to think about it and call him at the beginning of next week.

1- Do Nothing and hope it goes away

2- Have Injections in my Neck

3- Have Injections in Back

So I already ruled out #1 since this has been going on for 3 1/2 years obviously doing nothing won't help! I can't have both injections at once so I have to choose. I'm leaning towards my Back since that seems to be the newer of the two pains and maybe they can nip this one in the bud but then I'll still have to deal with my Neck later. I spoke with my Chiropractor and she thinks I should do back first as well.

Now neither of the injections are guaranteed to work. Dr seems to think most of my issues are Muscular and not much can be done for that. I'm willing to try something though! From my understanding the morning of the injection I have to take Valium and then some sort of Anesthesia is used and injections are given with help of X-Ray machine. The whole process seems kinda scary but I'm desperate!

If things aren't bad enough I got a call from Costco HR yesterday and was told that I'm at the end of my rope and either have to come back or resign. Then she went on to say that the company can't treat me better than other employees. That's when I spoke up (previous I ha vent said anything cuz they were giving me extensions and I didn't want to ruffle feathers till I had too) and said that I knew of at least 3 other employees that have been out much longer than I've been so don't even try to say I'm being treated differently.

There was a long pause on the phone and then she said that I didn't know all the details and she couldn't discuss their cases with me. I then reminded the woman that I was a store manager and I was the one that dealt with those employees before they went out of work and I was very familiar with their cases. She then said that their cases were Work mans Comp and mine wasn't. I then told her that first of all she was lying because one of the cases wasn't work related and that mine actually was and my claim was denied after 2 years of haggling with them. During which that whole time I wasn't treated and my condition got worse because of it. I then let her know that I had kept all my paper work the whole time and will be going after Sedgwick (WC Co) & Costco as soon as I was better.

I was then told that if my Dr submitted a letter saying that I was having an injection that they would extend my time till middle of Oct but no longer!

Silly Costco.... They trained me on all their policies and leave acts plus I was the Store Safety Manager and was often in charge of calling in employee accidents and investigating them so that the accident wouldn't happen to someone else. Costco may get away with telling an average employee some bullshit but not me!

I'd really like to hear from you guys on which injection you would get done first or if any of you have had them done before. I don't have to decided until Monday so I still have a little bit of time to think about it.

WEEK UPDATE

Yes I know it's been a week since my last post so I'm just going to update everyone real quick and hopefully post again later!
After Saram's baby shower last Saturday the whole family ended up going back to their house for a little after party. It was alot of fun to hang out and catch up with everyone! Unfortunately I'm still on the same medication that doesn't allow me to drink so it was a sober party for me. Danni wasn't drinking either so the two of us hung out and watched everyone else get silly!! I was a little concerned about how everyone was getting home but most came with someone that wasn't drinking or had very little. As we were leaving one of our family members got a text warning about all the Sobriety Check Points set up in the area and their locations (a handful of the family works in law enforcement so we get all the head-ups!). Turns out the were holding one right on the main street that their house is off of.
Danni and I were the first to leave and neither of us were drinking so we weren't worried but all the same didn't want the hassle of getting held up in one. The whole process takes forever! As luck would have it we didn't pass through a check point at all so it must have been on the other end of the street. Massachusetts has been cracking down on drunk drivers and for the last few months there has been checkpoints at least 2-3 times a week and according to the news they catch an average of 300 people a night at these points!!
Sunday I kinda of just took it easy. I was in alot of pain probably from Saturday even though I didn't do or lift anything that would have caused it. It seems like my shoulder/neck pain is still the same(no worse but no better) however the last few months my back has been out of whack. I can't seem to catch a break, if a lay in a position to help my back it hurts my neck and vice versa I'm just so frustrated and don't know what to do. I'm suppose to being going back to work any day now but I know in my heart I still can't do the job, there are days that I can't even stand because of my back. I had an appointment this morning to see my Dr but his office called and rescheduled to next Wed.
I've been seeing this Dr since Feb and every single visit I've had with him has been cancelled and rescheduled by his office. I wonder if they do this to everyone or if I'm just a random coincidence? At least this time the turn around was fast(normally they reschedule at least a month away). Something has got to be done at this appointment or I'm going to look for another Dr because I can't take this pain anymore and I don't know how much longer Costco will hold my position. I've actually started surfing the net and looking at classifieds for a more office friendly position.
Besides my pain there hasn't been much going on around here this week. I did a little shopping and bought some new things for my apartment. As much as I want a house I know I'll be stuck here for at least five more years so I may as well make the place look good. It didn't look bad before I just haven't change much since I moved in and since I no longer have a car payment I used that $400 to buy some new things. First I bought a new microwave! My last one was bought in 1997 if you can believe that?! It still worked OK but sometimes when you took your food out and shut the door it would restart automatically hahaha so I figured it was time for a new one. I found a great one at Walmart that microwaves and also has a toaster element for cooking pizza and such for $74!! Woot Woot!!! I also bought a few other things for the kitchen like a new throw rug, potholders and dish towels.
Second I went to Target a bought new stuff for the bathroom(I didn't like anything at Walmart). I found a shower curtain I loved and built off of that. I decided to chose colors that I normally never buy just for something new and completely different from my usual taste. I picked out Reds and Browns and am very pleased with the outcome. After setting it all up it still seemed like it was missing something so I ran to Walmart the next day and found a few pictures to hang on the wall. I took some pictures and I'll post them later. The whole thing cost me about $300 which was a little more than I wanted to spend but I needed a new toilet seat and bathroom cabinet too so for all that I didn't do too bad. The last cabinet I had was white and was falling apart some and since I chose dark colors this time I wanted a new darker finished wood cabinet. I found a build it yourself for $60!
Along with all the shopping I did for the house I also got myself some new shoes. I haven't bought any for about three years and since I am planning on returning to some sort of employment I needed some new sneakers. I still need all new clothes but at least the shoe expense is out of the way. Actually my parents wanted to take me shopping for all new clothes for my birthday last April but I asked them if I could wait and do it when I went back to work so my Mom just told me to let her know when I was ready!
Today my back is hurting already so I'm just going to take it easy since I know it'll be a busy weekend. My friend Andy that just bought the house is having a House Warming/ 10Th Birthday Party for his daughter Alexis on Sunday and I volunteered to make M&M Cookies, Orange Brownies and Macaroni and Cheese. So tomorrow I'll be making the bakes goods(hopefully my back will cooperate) and then I'll get up early Sunday to make the Mac & Cheese. I'll be posting pictures of the party early next week.

MEDICAL BILL

OK I'm Pissed!!! So this post will be me venting, any ideas or help would be appreciated!

I've been doing my Work Hardening Program now for about 2 months and I've counted back on my calender and saw that I went 17 times, well I don't know if you remember or not but I had to wait almost 2 months to get into the program because they were waiting for Insurance Approval. Now I guess part of this is my fault but I trusted the staff that was obtaining the approval since I assumed they also didn't want me doing the program unless they got paid.

Back on July 2ND The Return To Work Center called me and said that Aetna had finally approved the program but today I went online to Aetna.com to check out my account and saw that all the charges for each visit has been DENIED and I am responsible for the whole bill.

$374 x 17 Visits = $6358!

How in the world am I going to pay for that???

BASTARDS!!

I've done nothing yet since I haven't actually received a bill and I can't even call The Return To Work center yet because they are closed on Tues & Thurs. I want to wait and speak with them since they are the ones that obtained the approval before I call Aetna up screaming.

I'M JUST SO PISSED!!!!

PAST WEEKS UPDATE

Gosh I just realized it's been five days since my last post, I've really been slacking this month. I'm going try to update you on whats been going on around here.

Last Friday was a crazy busy day and I feel like I drove all over Western Massachusetts. It all started at 8am when I had to drop Mia off to be Spayed(Finally!!). Because I had bought a discounted Spaying Certificate online for $65, I had to use participating Vets only. The closest one to me was in Blandford which is only about 30 minutes away and I have to say it was a nice relaxing scenic drive. I was familiar with the area so I had no trouble finding the place. I was just going to have her Spaying done there and then transfer to somewhere closer but I fell in love with their staff. Everyone was just so nice so I'm going to continue to use them.

I was unsure how much this was going to cost. I knew that there was a $40 office visit but was unsure if Mia would need shots or medicine. I had obtained her kitten shot records from her last owner to show what she had gotten already. It turned out that she needed her Rabies shot(once a year) and Distemperment Shots(3 part shot over 3 months). I also purchased a tube of some sort of medicine which would help with hairballs(Mia just started getting them last week). The total for everything was $81.55, not too bad! I do need to bring her back at the end of the moth so they can check her incision and give Mia her next distemperment shot.

Mia 4 days after surgery

Her little incision and her shaved belly

Already returning to normal. I was afraid at first because she stayed under my bed for the first few days and only came out to eat and use her box. This is what she did when I first got her so I was afraid she was regressing some but yesterday she was out and about like normal!

In between Friday while Mia was being spayed I went to Physical Therapy and did some grocery shopping at Walmart. I didn't need alot but wanted to get some of the "Free" deals posted over at Money Saving Mom's Blog. Everything went well until the cashier tried to scan my coupons for Jergens lotion. I had picked up the trial size(2oz) for $1.97. I actually had 4 different coupons to use, 2- $2 off any Jergens and 2- $1.50 off any Jergens.

Now to give you a little background I had also picked up other trial/travel size items and had used coupons to get them free and all those coupons went through but for some reason the Jergens ones were beeping. At first the cashier told me I couldn't use them and I needed to buy the big bottle like the coupon picture showed. I explained to her that the coupon said "Any Size". She then said I should be able to use them and called over a Supervisor. The Sup looked at the coupons and then tried to hand them back to me and say I couldn't use them. I refused to accept them and asked for a manager. The manager came over and was extremely snotty and did the whole eye rolling thing. She tried to say I couldn't use them. I refused to take no for an answer since I knew I was right.

Now mind you the line is huge behind me and I can hear people starting to mumble and say stuff but I stood my ground! Then she swayed a little and pushed through the 2-$1.50 off coupons but was trying to refuse the $2 off coupons saying that the coupon was more than the price of the product and I couldn't do that. I then stated out loud for everyone to hear that I still was not accepting that answer and I could stand here all day and hold up the line. I asked her what she cared anyways since when she sends the coupon in Walmart would get their $2 back. After one final eye roll she pushed them through but only for $1.97 each, whatever that was fine with me since I wasn't looking to get the overage.

So moral of the story ladies, stick to your guns and stand your ground and if your in the right you will get what you want!

By the time I got home Friday I was so tired and my pain level was unbelievable :( Not only is there a problem with my neck and shoulder but my therapist also found a problem in my back. My back usually only hurts on and off and only on the lower right side, I didn't think it was related and never thought to mention it. He was saying that if something is off in your back then it would throw your whole spine off and may be part of the source of the pain in my neck.

Oh great just what I need more problems. After my visit yesterday the therapist told me that he thinks I'm making progress but doesn't think I'll be able to return to work in August. He is going to recommend another month of the program. I agree with him because although I am starting to lift more, there is no way I would be able to do it repetitively for 8-10 hours straight. I know my Dr will be OK with it, I'm just not sure if Costco will extend me another month or if the disability co will continue to pay me. I just have to wait and see what happens Aug 1st(I have Dr appt and then meeting w/ Costco).

In between all my pain this weekend I baked some muffins for a coworker who's Mom had passed away. Danni and I didn't want to do the traditional send a flower thingy so we decided to make a goody basket. I baked muffins and Danni made Cookies and Cinnamon Buns and another Co-worker bought some fruit.

Cranberry w/ Walnut Crumb Topping

and

Blueberry Muffins

I forgot to take a picture of the finished basket but it looked real nice. Danni and I had gone over to Michaels to buy the basket. All the baskets were 50% off which was a nice bonus. We needed one that was short and long versus tall and round and found a nice one that was $3.99. We also grabbed some purple ribbon(co-workers fav color) and some purple shredded paper for bottom and a clear large bag/basket wrap.

When we got to register the basket rang up at $1.99(50% off price) and I had a 20% coupon for the rest of the regular priced stuff. Our grand total was $6.27!!! Can you believe that?? I don't think I've ever gotten a basket and wrapping stuff for that low!

When we got home Danni took the purple ribbon and a roll of purple and green w/ flowers she had at home and weaved it around the top of the basket. By the time we were done the basket looked fantastic and we were so proud of ourselves and more importantly our friend loved it and immediately commented that we had remembered and used her favorite color. It's so nice to be able to brighten a friends day just a little!

WORK UPDATE 7-2

I meet with my Employer today to discuss my restrictions. I had a limit of 10lbs and nothing above shoulder level.

Costco refused me :(

The good news is I found out I get to keep my Photo Manager position and when I do go back that's where it'll be. An hour before my meeting I received a call from the Work Hardening Center and was told that Aetna approved my therapy. They will be simulating a work environment for me complete with lifting, bending, twisting, reaching and the fear of re-injury. I will be going there for the next month, 3x a week for 2-4 hours a session. I was told an acceptable limit to return to Photo is 35lbs and I will be trying to reach that over the next month.

My next meeting with Costco is Aug 1st right after my follow up with Dr. Cooper and if I reach my weight goal I can return Monday Aug 4Th. So I'm keeping my fingers(and toes) crossed that everything will go as planned!!

MEDICAL UPDATE 7-1

I went to the Dr this morning and have been released back to work with a 10lb lifting limit. I have a meeting tomorrow with my Manager and a Nurse from our Corporate office to see if the have a position available for me. My goal is to start back Monday July 14Th. So keep your fingers crossed that they will accept me back with those restrictions! If they don't want to work with me then I'm out again until my weight limit increases :(

Although I'm not feeling any better, I have no choice but to suck it up and go back for now. I have a follow up with my Dr in a month to see if I have improved or if I need to have Cervical Injections. I'm hoping I don't need those because the process he explained to me this morning didn't sound like fun. For now he prescribed another medicine and upped the dose on the one I'm already taking to see if that helps at all.

THIS AND THAT

Well I'm starting to feel a little bit better. Sore but not in agony anymore and my headache has gone away. At Physical Therapy today the girl gave me a great workout. We did all our normal exercises and then I got to use the arm bike. It was tough but a good workout all the same. I really need to strengthen up so every little bit helps. Then my therapist got a empty milk crate and place various weights in it and had me practice lifting it from the floor to waist level and then from waist level above shoulders. I was completely exhausted and sore when I left but I wasn't having any sharp or stabbing pains so I think most if it was just workout tired.

OK now on to a few frugal things, This morning in the local paper there was a ad for a new feature "Thursday Freebie". Each week there is going to be a coupon for a free item or service guaranteed to be worth more than the price of the paper! This week's freebie was a free round of mini golf at our local range. I don't play much mini golf these days but my friend Andy goes all the time with his daughter so I cut it out to give to him. Then this afternoon when getting the mail there was an extra paper laying on the table in the foyer(this is the spot people put extra papers, magazines and some lazy people put all their junk mail). So I got to cut out another coupon and now the two of them can play a round totally free!

Last week there was a coupon for a free Thomas the Train thingy at Toys R Us which was valid through next week. Today I found another coupon which expired today for basically the same thing. I decided I would take the 20 min drive there and pick up 2 free toys. Although I don't have any little boys in my family I figured I would get it and put away for a gift later(my friends always invite me to their kids parties). Once I finally located them in the store I saw a sign that said that the 1st online coupon I had had been a mistake and was no longer valid and then the 2ND online coupon they were out of stock on and offered no rain check. I went to customer service to see if I could substitute a lower priced Thomas for the out of stock and was told no and sorry there was nothing they could do. Every time I go to Toys R Us there's is a problem and I'm really starting to hate them and thinking about boycotting!

I was so aggravated on the drive home since I had gone out of my way to drive all the way there and back. My attitude improved however when I opened the mail and found a $3 rebate check from Minute Maid. I love rebates!

PAINFULL WEEKEND

Once again I've been slacking but this time it's because I hurt myself again and have been in chronic pain. I was lifting something light Sat afternoon (which I've been instructed to do since I need to rebuild my strength and get to a 25lb limit before I return to work in a couple of weeks) and I strained everything in my shoulder and neck and I heard something "pop". Within just a few minutes my pain level tripled and a heat came over the entire area.

I was in awful pain all day on Sunday and couldn't move my neck in certain positions. The later it got in the day the more everything hurt and I developed a slight headache. By the time I went to bed around 11pm I had a full blown migraine. I tried everything to get rid of it and four hours later I finally passed out with an ice pack on my head.

Monday things were no better. I only had a slight headache thank goodness it never turned into a migraine. I was once again in pain and didn't know what to do with myself. I tried ice, heat, med, exercises, hot showers etc etc. Nothing works :(

Today I still feel the same. I slept all right last night getting about 6 hours which is great for me but when I woke I felt the pain instantly. There is a huge knot on the base of my scalp that seemed to get larger overnight. I have an appointment with Physical Therapy in a few hours so I'm hoping that will help. I'm unsure weather or not to call the Dr. I have an appointment next Tuesday so I may just ride it out. They keep saying if I strengthen up they pain will go away and I won't need surgery on my herniation but obviously that's not working and I'm afraid now I may not be able to go back to work as planned :(

WORK PLAN

Nothing new around here to report. It's been fairly boring lately, alot of resting and Physical Therapy. I'm still not feeling any better but I think I'm going to be forced to go back to work. I think I have to work 8 months at full time to re qualify to go out with pay. Well I know that after 8 months you can qualify for FMLA(Family Medical Leave Act) again so I'm assuming you would be able to take another leave. I think what I'll have to do is suck it up and go back to work and do the best I can and as soon as I qualify take another leave and have the herniation taken care of.

Boy it sucks to be put in a predicament like this but I guess you do what you have to do to survive. For now I'm going to continue to be frugal and work on getting my debt paid off and put some in savings so if I ever go through something like this again at least I'll have a little cushion. It really isn't hard to clip out coupons and watch the flyers for sale items. I enjoy the challenge and see how much I can save. In fact I got another rebate in today for some Land O' Lakes Butter for $2.69. That's over $28 in rebates just this week. I know alot of people don't send these back because it's too time consuming but it works for me!

THIS AND THAT

Yikes! I had no idea it's been five days since my last post. I've either been busy or in pain and haven't gotten on here much.

Wednesday I volunteered to take my niece Nevaeh for the day. I need to start doing more things and lifting more weight in order to go back to work so what better practice than to chase a two year old around for nine hours. By the time she left I was exhausted and very sore. I think all my muscles were aggravated. They were just as sore Thursday when I woke up so I rested all day.

Friday I had an appointment for more Trigger Point Injections at 8:15am. I had three shots total and this time I asked him to put one into the knot at the bottom of my scalp. He said it would feel weird since there is no tissue there and boy did it ever. Right after I went next door for Physical Therapy. They give you a deep tissue massage to work the medicine through the muscles.

By the time this was all done I was in pain and wanted to go home but I had to run to Costco. I was suppose to have a two day paycheck deposited and when it didn't show up Fri morning I called our payroll clerk and she said she had forgotten to key it in and would issue me a manual check if I could stop by and pick it up. No big deal because I needed to pick up a prescription anyways(our ins co makes us get them there).

I was pleasantly surprised by my paycheck. It was more than double what I expected. Being out of work so long and living on 60% of my salary, I had completely forgotten what I made regularly! I decided I would treat myself to a manicure and pedicure. My Manicurist couldn't fit me in for an hour so I ran across the street and into Pet co to get a scratching post for Mia. She is destroying the corners of my couches and everyone said this would help(update~3 days later she is still tearing up the couch). I than went over to Barnes and Nobles and picked out two new paperbacks and a Mint Mocha Frappachino at Starbucks. Hey.. I decided to splurge a little on myself since I've been so frugal lately! The pedicure was great! I love sitting in the massage chair and having it work on my muscles. It felt good after the injections earlier that morning. When my nails were all done I went home for the night and started reading one of my new books.

Saturday I got up and had a few chores to do. Vacuum, empty cat box, take trash out, etc. I wanted to get it done early so I could rest for a while since we were planning on going to a New Britain Rock Cats game. I love to go to Red Sox games but they are so expensive so this year I don't think I'm going to go so this was a great alternative. It's approx $27 for a pair of tickets and it's a fun night out watching baseball! Well as it got later in the day it started to pour so we scrapped that idea and decided to try again next weekend.

Even though I really wanted to go I was OK with skipping it since I decided I would get up at 5 am Sunday morning and drive down to the Cape. My parents have a second home there and were spending the weekend there with my sisters and their families. I am not a fan of the Cape and never go but thought it may be a nice surprise for my Dad to drive down for the day and hang out with them.

When I woke up this morning I looked on the intranet for Cape Cod's weather and learned it was gonna pour all morning and most of the afternoon so I decided the 3 hour drive each way wasn't worth it to hang out inside because of rain. So that idea got scrapped and I went back to bed.

CVS 6-10

This morning when I woke up I saw that the Bananas I had bought last week were turning brown. I remembered seeing a pretty easy recipe for Banana Bread over at The Sparrows Nest so I thought I'd give that a try. Thanks Mrs. Wilt for the recipe! The bread was real yummy!!

After finishing baking I had to go to Physical Therapy. My shoulder is starting to feel a little better but my neck is still killing me. We started working on body supporting exercises today like push-ups. We did some girly ones but they worked out OK and didn't increase my pain so I'll continue to do those at home as well. The therapist is trying to strengthen me up so when I hopefully go back to work next month it won't be a huge shock to my body. Let's see if it works!

After therapy I wanted to run to CVS to pick up some pics I ordered online. If you sign up for their online photo, they give you the first 50 prints free. While I like Costco pics the best I ordered these anyways since they were free. The colors weren't great but whatever!

Here's what I got today....

TRANSACTION 1
2 Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal $3.33Each
2 Total Cereal $3.33Each
1 Lucky Charms Cereal $3.33
1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal $3.33
50 Photo’s FREE
Total $20.00
Coupons - $16.50**
Total OOP $3.50

TRANSACTION 2
1 Case CVS water $4.99
2 Nivea Shaving Gels $2.99Each
1 Nivea Men’s Body Wash $4.99
3 Reese’s Cups $0.79Each
Total $18.33
Sales - $1.87
Coupons - $6.50
ECB’s - $10.00(adjusted down to $9.96)
Total OOP $0.00

DAYS TOTAL $38.33
DAYS SALES - $1.87
DAYS COUPONS/ECB’S - $32.96
DAYS TOTAL OOP $3.50

SAVINGS OF 91%

**On the first transaction I ended up getting an additional $9.50 taken off my order due to their mistake. I tried to explain it to the cashier and then the supervisor and they still didn’t understand so I gave up! The confusion was with my photo’s, since they were free they had their usual barcode(to charge $9.50 for pics) on them plus an additional coupon barcode(to subtract the price so they would be free). Well the kept scanning just the coupon and never actually scanned in the original barcode so in effect the took an additional $9.50 off my total. Normally I don’t like to “scam” anybody and always tell when something like this happens but I tried and nobody understood so oh well!!

Want to see more CVS savings?

Visit the Centsible Sawyer's CVS Superstars or Money Saving Mom's Super Savings Saturday!! You can find both of their links in my list of favorites!!