Hanging in there

Well I'm still here and pretty much the same as the last time I posted. It's been at 100oF or higher for most of the last two weeks. Miserable to say the least.
On June 23 I woke up about dawn with a bad RA flare in my right elbow. I took 4 pain pills, over the counter!, and was finally able to go back to sleep. When I next woke up about 7:15am or so I had a fever and chills and was physically ill. I got up anyway and took a shower hoping it would help me feel better, nope, not no way. About 8:30 am I called to reschedule the ENT clinic I had for that afternoon, it's now on the 14th of this month along with another appointement in Rheumatology.
When I went to my Rheumatology appointment on the 25th the doc was worried about my elbow possibly being infected so he called a radiologist from across the street and he, the radiologist, did a sonogram of the elbow. He found a small pocket of synovial fluid about 2 inches up my forearm toward the wrist from the elbow and the rheumatologist decided he wanted some removed to send to the lab and be checked for an infection. Boy was that painful!!! Luckily for me the radiologist told me it was going to be very painful, what an understatement! He had to go way down into my arm and I've never felt anything like it before. Told them my mother had been wrong, there was something that hurt worse than labor pains during childbirth. At least I got a laugh from them.
Went back to rheumatology yesterday on a walk in basis to check on the results of the lab tests that were cultured. No signs of infection thank heaven because that would have meant a hospital stay and IV antibiotics. I'm on Prednisone for two weeks to see if it will clear up my elbow. If that doesn't work I may get switched from Humira to Enbrel or Remicade or something similar.
I'm still working on my scrapbooking and have signed up for two classes though I think I'm going to cancel the first and just go to the second one. I also have my 7 yr. old granddaughter "Smoochie" signed up for a class as she's shown some interest in scrapbooking. If she doesn't enjoy this class I won't sign her up for anymore as I don't want to waste my money.
Got a large rolling scrapbooking tote at Michael's today at 50% off! I've been wanting one for ages but since they run from $70 on up I just couldn't afford one even with the 40% coupon they usually have in their ad. I had a little extra money so I went ahead and bought it. Now I'll have something to easily tote my supplies in when I attend classes and/or crops.
I'm adding to my scrapbooking supplies slowly but surely as I'm in a couple of swaps where we send stuff in and get something different in exchange.

Posting comments on blogs

I tried to post a comment three different times to a ladies blog as I wanted to be eligible for a scrapbooking giveaway she's having. I couldn't get my google addy done properly so I tried to do an anonymous post and that didn't work either. Boy, life is frustrating sometimes. LOL

I'm in 3 or 4 swaps at Scrapbook.com and am enjoying myself immensely. Most swaps I do are to add to my "stash" as I've found that's one of the least expensive ways to add things. I'm also in a coffee/tea swap where we send our pal coffee or tea items to include at least one homemade item. Then I'm in a Texas Travelogue page swap. I took two spots, one for the Alamo and one for San Fernando Cathederal. I have to make 8 pages 6"x6" to trade. I'll get the same number of pages back, one from each of the 8 ladies in my two groups.

I'm planning on hostessing a Christmas swap that I'm going to post in August or I may post it in July and take singups all month until I've got at least 20. I'll be making pairs so each person can send their pal the package directly. This will save time and postage to my way of thinking. I'm not sure what exactly will be the requirements for the contents though I do want it to be both scrapbooking items and then something extra say a coffee cup, small picture frame, tiny stuffed toy or something else along that line. Just a little something as a gift for the pal. It will be similar to the coffee/tea swap in the way it's run.

Still living with my daughter and her three girls. Just wish we could afford to move into something with at least 3 bedrooms as I'm tired of the girls going through my belongings. I'm going to see if I can find a second hand suitcase on wheels that can be locked that I can afford so I can put my scrapbooking stuff in it and keep the girls out of it. Right now that stuff is on the top bunk of the set I sleep on but all the girls can climb up there and have as I've found some of my stuff on the floor.

Saw the rheumatologist last Thursday and he is sending me for a bone mineral density test and to occupational therapy to see if they can help me regain the strength in my hands, especially the left one. Found out that the bones in my left wrist are fusing together, not unusual from what he said and I should still do alright as my fingers still work fine for the time being. Although he didn't come right out and say it I think he may switch me to Remicade or something similar as I'm still having a lot of trouble with inflamation in my elbows and wrists. I'm also waiting to see the orthopaedic surgeon about elbow replacement surgery. My appointment is June 8 and I should find out then if they will actually do it or if I have to wait until I get TriCare Prime back again.

I'm back

I'm now into scrapbooking, big time to my way of thinking though I am off to a slow start.

For some time now, many years in fact, I've had some pictures of the "Moving Wall" as the transportable version of the national Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial is called. I found a scrapbook I wanted to use and bought a pad of paper I was intending to use in the layouts then decided I'd ask on-line and see if I could get any comments from actual Viet Nam Vet's. Nope, not a one, though I didn't expect a great number I was in hopes I'd get a few. The one comment I got was from a man who although he wasn't actually over there he knew many men who were and helped me out that way. My original intention had been to use shades of black and gray and some patterened paper in black and white. This man reminded me that the dark colors would remind any vets who saw it of evening and night, the times "Charlie" would show up. Instead he suggested I go with brighter colors. I haven't actually started yet but hope to soon.

I'm going to try and hit a beginners scrapbooking class at a place called Scrapbook911 on the 28th of this month. Since I haven't done any large pages, I've only done two 6"x6" accordion fold chipboard scrapbooks, this will be a new experience for me. Wish me luck!

I've also got some pictures of our local, San Antonio, TX Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial as well as the Korean War Memorial so I'm going to make an album that covers all the war memorials that I can locate and the Purple Heart Memorial also.

Won't be using the original pictures as I want to keep them so I'm having them copied onto photo paper then I'll cut them apart and can actually permanently attach them to a page. I hope to have access to a digital camera soon so that I can start adding pictures here. I want to be able to post pics of my layouts once they're done.

Would love to have some comments about my projects as I go along.