SlimKicker - a great new fitness site with app

Say hello to SlimKicker! This is a brand new get healthy website with a corresponding iPhone app. Here's the basics about it:

The app makes living healthy, eating healthy, and fitness into an RPG game, where users earn points, 'level up', and earn badges as they accomplish their health goals. Every time something healthy like a fruit is added to their food log, points are earned toward the next level. Every time a workout is completed, points are earned toward the next level. As they achieve more, they'll level up and unlock badges.

The whole idea is to shift people's attitude towards healthy living as fun, and enjoyable.

I checked out the site and the app, and I love it. The website is great- love the colors and interface, and the simple popup explanations upon first login. The challenges are a fantastic idea, I can't wait to dive into that. What a great way to offer motivation and success.

Another bonus? It's completely free. I am one of the many that doesn't pay for any websites or apps because there are so many out there. And the fact that this one doesn't have annoying add all over it makes it twice as great.

No android app yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be on the market soon.

Here's something I love about this- there are different challenges to achieve, in addition to the overall health goals. Some of the current challenges are No snacks after dinner, 10 wall squats a day, and Move during commercials. They are simple, attainable, and easy to incorporate into any lifestyle. In addition- because that isn't awesome enough already- there is one challenge each week (I think it's each week), that gives away a prize. The current "prize" challenge is Slow Down Challenge, where it encourages users to do 1 thing each day more slowly -eat, work, exercise, commute, or end the day- while informing of the benefits of doing each item more slowly. The prize for this challenge is Cuisinart Slow Cooker.

I will be keeping an ongoing review of this for a while. I plan to really get into the site/app and make some progress with it. But don't worry, I'll be writing as I go along, so as to not miss the entry into the program and small successes.

I'm excited to get started!

*groan*

I feel like I woke up from the dead. I am sick, with a capital S-I-C-K. Head cold, stuffy nose, headache, body aches, sore throat, watery eyes, sneezing, I've got it all.

Thankfully, I also have a wonderful husband. He was feeling better yesterday, so he made food for us both when I got home. He put me on the couch to wind down from work, and then put me to bed full of NyQuil. I slept from 5 pm yesterday until 10 am today. And I've been off and on since then.

I am very blessed to have the husband that I have. He is a wonderful man, great employee, excellent father, and the best husband. I count my blessings daily to have him in my life.

(Anonymous, you can take a flying leap. You do realize I'm not going to post anything demeaning on my blog. And if you don't, you're as pathetic as your comments are. If you aren't brave enough to put your name when leaving nasty comments on my page, then I have no reason to take you seriously. Go do something useful. Search for equestrian apparel next time and leave me alone.)

In other news, my step-mom has cancer. She had a portion of her tongue removed on Friday and the biopsy came back today. Bad news. So she has to have another surgery on the 24th, and have more taken out.

Still no news about my aunt that was kidnapped.

Selo is bringing me juice and some food. Until he gets back home, I'm going to go wait in bed.

Yuck

I am sick. And I hate being sick.

I had the sniffles all weekend, but I figured it was allergies and thought nothing of it. This morning, Selo woke up with a stomach ache. He took some NyQuil and crawled back in bed to sleep it off. Because of his stomach problems, we both didn't think anything of it.

But now that's it's noon, and I've been awake for several hours, I'm exhausted. My head is stuffy, my nose is running, my throat hurts, I don't want to eat or drink anything, and I'm achy. I'm ready to go home and crawl in bed right next to my husband.

Luckily I get off work in less than three hours. (That's the great thing about working the early shift.) I should be able to finish today, and then go home and go to bed- right next to my sick husband. Dope myself up on NyQuil, sleep long and hard tonight, and be well enough for work again tomorrow.

Note: Here's your random link- check out best diet pills that work. Can you tell I'm not that interested in anything today? Oh well.

Stop answering the phone

I already hate talking on the phone. But I'm learning that I need to quit answering it altogether. Every time I do, it's more bad news.

Yesterday was my step-mom's surgery. She had a lesion in her mouth, and had to have part of her tongue removed. The surgery itself went well, and she was sent home to recover and heal.

A few hours later, she was taken to the ER and was admitted into the hospital. The bleeding had not stopped, but had gotten worse. Even more scary, her tongue had swollen so much that the medical staff was concerned about it blocking her airway.

As of this morning, she is doing better. The bleeding has stopped, the pain is being controlled by morphine, and the swelling has gone down. She has finally been allowed to eat, and has successfully had breakfast. She was told if she continued to improve, she would be released later today to go home.

We are hoping for improvement, and for her full and complete recovery.

It hurt, but it didn't kill us

We had our taxes done today. We knew we were going to have to pay because of the mess with Selo's ex wife, and we were expecting to pay A LOT. (You know how that goes.) Thankfully, it is over with. We had them done, we know the total, and we can make a plan. Plus, we will never ever have to deal with that kind of mess again. So, we are right in the middle of the worst part, BUT it will only get better from here. We have until April 15 to get the money together. If we can't do that then we can call before that date and make payment arrangements. As of tomorrow, Selo and I are going to figure out our new financial plan, and decide from there. And when it's all over, we are going to look into Outer Banks rentals. We wanted to go there the whole time we lived close, but never got the chance. We want something to look forward to, and that's it.

Found out something interesting while we were there, though. Did you know that 1 in every 186 people will be audited? That number is huge! Selo has been audited before (again, thanks to a mess from his ex wife, which luckily he got his name cleared on). It wasn't as much of a messy situation as I had always heard it would be, but it was agonizing none-the-less. It's hard to believe that 1 in 186 people go through that every single year.

My WW today went really well. I had my normal breakfast, a good lunch, went out to dinner, and as of right now I am right on for my points. I will probably use some of my weekly flex points tonight to have a snack of either pretzels or ice cream, but it won't push me over then either. This is so much easier than I thought. I'm getting suspicious whether or not I will actually lose weight on it. lol

I'm off to bed. I know it's not even nine yet, but it's been a long hard day. Work was awful today, taxes sucked, and my hormones are still all wacked out. I think some extra sleep will do me good.

Totally Psyched

First of all, I want to shout out a big huge thank you to my girl "The Chick". She has provided me with tons of info, a spreadsheet, website links, and best of all support and encouragement to get going on this.

I started out thinking about weight loss pills. Not a huge fan, but I googled weight loss pill reviews and came up with a million and a half hits. Got overwhelmed, and gave up. Then I started asking some friends on Twitter, and that's when it all started.

I am so motivated now to get healthier and get fit. I'm not fat or on the brink of a heart attack by any means. But since Selo and I are planning to get pregnant soon, I want to be healthy! I've been working out three times a week, drinking tons of water, and now I can add eating healthy in there, too.

The Wii Fit has been awesome. My goal is to work out three times per week, and I've done that every week except for the week I was sick. With the Wii Fit, there is a body test each time you work out. So I have my weight and BMI measured each time I work out. Wii Fit helps you set a health goal, and recommends work outs, exercises, and games on the Wii Fit to help you achieve your goal within the time frame you picked. It charts it for you, marks your goals, and stamps each day with a progress stamp. I am loving it. I haven't had this much fun- or been this consisent!- working out since I was in high school. And compared to dance and drill team, this is only second best. But I am loving it all the same!!!

I have been practically drowning myself in water. I was trying to get a daily 64 oz, but I felt like it was WAY too much. I couldn't handle that much liquid! So I've cut back to 48 oz per day, and I'm doing a lot better. I drink most of it while I'm at work, so 3/4th is done by 4pm every day. That leaves 8 oz of water for the rest of the night. AND I can still drink my milk and juice, too. I don't drink any soda, carbonation, or caffine either. I'm doing pretty well at the water part.

Now, for the newest addition. I'm going to be doing the Weight Watcher point thing. Yep, I'm jumping on the band wagon with this one. I have never done a weight loss diet before, I've always been trying to gain weight! Up through when I was 23, I weighed 105 lbs. The year I got married, I finally got up to 115. Well, now I am 26 and my metabolism has finally slowed down and the eating has caught up to me enough that not only did I gain weight but I kept it on. I weigh 138 lbs. I know that's barely in the normal range, but hear me out. I have a bit of a pudge around my middle and my clothes are a bit tighter than I would like. So, I'd like to lose 8 lbs. I would like to stay withing the 125 - 130 range. I think that's a good, healthy range. When we get pregnant, I won't be so skinny that the baby will need everything I have to grow (which is what happened to my mom when she had my middle sister). I will be healthy enough to carry our baby. Plus, if I lose 8 lbs, my clothes will be more comfortable again and I should have more energy.

Blythe has explained it all to me, given me a totally easy spreadsheet to track points with, and websites to look up what foods have what points and point conversions. All I have to do is plug in the info. How easy is that? So I'm going to learn portion control and to recognize when I am full. And I will learn how to maintain my weight, so combined with the exercise and water this is a long term thing rather than a quick fix that doesn't last long. I've even set up goals to help me lose and keep the weight off. A new shirt at 135, a new pair of jeans at 130, and a new dress or skirt when I've kept the weight off for a certain length of time (haven't decided how long yet).

I am so excited. Selo is completely in support of my new get healthy habits. He says I already seem happier just having some goals placed. He is pleased that my goals are long term instead of "lose it fast", and he's pleased that I have rewards set up for when I reach smaller goals. How great is that, that I have a husband that supports me so pro-actively. I couldn't ask for a better man. And another great part? "The Chick" is my new "WW Buddy". She cracks me up. She's so enthusiastic and encouraging. I can see how this plan works, and how it helps so much to have support with it!

OMGosh I'm going to need something

I came out of my shower tonight with a realization.

Me: Honey we need to go shopping.

Selo: Um, okay. Why?

Me: I'm going to have a period.

Selo: . . . and . . . ?

Me: I don't have anything for it.

Selo: You don't have anything at all?

Me: If I did, I have no idea where they are.

Selo: Well, guess we'll be doing that tomorrow.

ROFL Sounds so obvious doesn't it? But I haven't had a period in almost four years, I haven't kept any around. lol At least this time when I "start my period" I won't have to call my mom for help.

Valentine's Weekend

It was nice to have a long weekend last weekend.

Friday night was awesome. The girls and I went and saw the movie, and it was really funny. There were even some parts that I didn't expect in it. After the movie, some of us went to eat and stayed for a while. We all had a blast, and are going to make plans to do it again. It's nice to go out and have time with the girls.

Saturday I woke up with a cold. Selo had just gotten over it, so he took care of me to help me through it. First he snuggled in bed with me for a while. We watched the snow fall outside (it was pretty!) and watched our cat in the window. Even though I was sick, it was a romantic morning. My sweet husband made and brought me food in bed, he kept me bundled up, he was there anytime I needed or wanted something. I seriously have the bestest husband in the world.

While I was sick, he re-arranged our computer area. We have one long table and one corner desk. He switched us around so he was on the long table and I was on the desk. It worked out a lot better than either of us had hoped. Now he has a computer desk. A desk that will hold all of his computers, monitors, keyboards, mouse pads, and anything else he needs. I have this beautiful and very effectient work space. On one side is the PC with the dual monitors and pull out keyboard. On the other side is where I can put my Mac and there is open space for me to handle paperwork, mail, and files. In the center in the corner is my printer/scanner/copier/fax (that I got for $10 with my Mac- thank you Mac store!). The end effect is a very workable and functional space that is classy and elegant. And, since he was doing all the heavy lifting and moving around, he gave me a job he thought I could handle. I got to clean a keyboard. lol I took all the keys off, then soaked them in Oxy Clean. I cleaned the empty board of the keyboard. Then I layed all the keys out on a towel so them to dry. Selo thought it was cute that I wrote "I LOVE U" with the keys for him. All in all, it was a good weekend. Selo did an awesome job of taking care of me, and I was almost over my cold completely by the time I had to go back to work. With all of the moving and organizing, we are going to have a much easier time keeping up with our business and keeping our house (at least that part) clean and organized.

A couple of weeks ago, Selo bought three bookshelves for our front room. Two full size and one corner unit. So far one of them has been put up, but it has already made a difference. We have high hopes of getting the rest of our front room completely organized once we have all three shelves up and in place.

Easier than a dentist visit

I had the Mirena taken out yesterday. It wasn't that bad! I was expecting a lot more pain. I mean, my uterus has been wrapped around this little device for four years, there has to be a lot of pain, right? Wrong. It felt like a pinch and tug, and it was over. You know that feeling you get at the dentist when you are getting a numbing shot? It was that same sensation, but not that painful. Afterward, I cramped a bit. It was like very mild period cramps. No bleeding at all, which was also a very pleasant surprise.

The doctor confirmed what Selo and I thought about the IUD- although it is wonderful and has worked like a charm for me, the hormone level in it has been dropping these last few months and that's why it didn't seem to be working as well.

My doctor was really nice, and he was funny. He was excited for us to be having the IUD taken out, it's a big step. He told us we "should get pregnant tonight!" We laughed and told him we weren't THAT ready- I haven't even had a period yet! Honestly, I am looking forward to starting my periods again. I haven't had one in over three years, and I'm looking forward to knowing I'm female and able to bear children.

I was a little concerned about a lot of different hormones messing me up so we couldn't have kids. But he said something that really comforted me. He said he has more cases of women coming in that got pregnant from missing a pill or two, than he has cases of women that go off birth control and struggle to get pregnant. That made me feel a lot better.

Today Is The Big Day

We've been talking and making plans to start our family for a few years. We are making and accomplishing financial and emotional goals to bring us closer to it. Today is another big milestone.

Today, we are having my IUD removed.

Wish us luck!

Say ByeBye To Your Inhaler- It Is No Longer Legal!

Did you know that CFC (chloroflurocarbon) inhalers are now prohibited from being made in the USA? This is a fast acting inhalers, such as ProAir, Ventolin, and Proventi. Pretty scary thought, isn't it? When I first heard it, I didn't believe it. How can they take the 7 most prescribed medicine in the country off the market? What are they thinking?

"They" are the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee, and they are wanting to make things greener. A CFC inhaler is said to have the same effect on the ozone layer as aerosols such as hair spray and air freshener. Many, many years ago, medical inhalers were given a time period to switch over to greener methods when CFC bans were put into place. As of December 31, 2008, pharmaceutical company will no longer be making CFC inhalers. Pharmacies will still be allowed to sell the ones they have, however no more will be made.

What does this mean for asthmatics like my husband that use a fast acting inhaler all the time? A new type of inhaler, called an HFA (hydrofluoralkane) inhaler. A new prescription must be written by your doctor, since it is a brand new prescription, and not a generic or a substitute. Expect to pay more at the pharmacy for it- sometimes up to three times as much, particularly if you are used to purchasing a generic inhaler. The new HFA inhalers have a different feel and taste to them. Since the medication works differently (on the lungs instead of the throat), they also have a "sofer and warmer puff" to them. The new inhalers will need to be cleaned more frequently, since they have a tendency to clog.

Looks like we will be making a doctors appointment for Selo. Since I have an appt on Monday, I scheduled his at the same time. We'll be making the change now, so that we have enough time to find a new inhaler that works for him, before the old ones are completely gone.

~*~ Sources ~*~
CleanTechnica
American Lung Association
Planet Green
Achoo the Blog

I get it now

I am bored. That's why I've been so depressed lately.

Selo and I had a long conversation this morning. And then I came to work and had a chat with my boss. I am discovering that I am just plain not challenged enough. I don't feel like I am progressing, or am working towards a significant goal. At work, we are so slow that everyone has some time to sit around. However, I am full time, and I am just as slow as everyone else. So I have an extra four hours to be bored. No wonder my job feels like a waste of time right now. At home, the Christmas is put away, I've cleaned out the corner, most of the big jobs are done. Emotionally, we are at kind of a stand still. We are happy in our marriage, we have a plan for when to start having children, but we are at the in between right now. So I don't have a lot to focus my mind toward.

I feel better since talking to my boss. I explained my frustrations to him, and he said he understood them. I'm going to train on another area, and take over some more responsibilities. He has given me the okay to re-write some of the areas of my current position, and to tighten them up. He said that when I finish those things, come back and he will give me more. (I've been asking for weeks to be more involved with SS, so I think he's going to give me some work there, too.)

At home, I think I need to make some more goals. I need to do something. I'm still doing the volunteer work for NMHP, but I'm completely caught up with that and waiting for more to do there as well.I've been wanting to move the bedroom around, I can work on that. I might re-organize my kitchen so that things are a bit easier to reach. I will find some bad photos and work with Photoshop every day and learn that program. Selo and I have two books we've been meaning to read that will strengthen our relationship, I think I will read both of those, too. Maybe I'll find a book on empowering a woman's self and add that to my list.

Going into the new year, I will have a whole new set of goals to work on. The ten personal goals I set for each year. Those should give me some items to focus on, as well. Hopefully I will be able to get things together. I'm not depressed because I am unhappy, I'm depressed because I am un-challenged.

So far, so good

Christmas has been wonderful for us, how about for you? We spent every night last week with one side of family or another, and there was so much food we couldn't even try everything. We received some awesome gifts. lol And I loved watching our family open the pictures.

I got Selo some small things he asked for. I also made him a blanket, because he has been cold so much lately. He didn't think he was getting one, because when he asked me for one while I was making all the others I told him I didn't have time. But you should have seen the look of glee on his face when he opened his. He got me a very nice gift card to Victoria's Secret, so that I could get some new girlie things. *wink wink* He also got me some really good chocolate from Godiva. Oh, it is heavenly. We are still on the search for Wii Fit, though. We even did a little shopping for Nobi and picked out some things for her from the cat and dog supplies. On a shopping trip yesterday, we found a store that had pillowtops on sale for $49 for any size. So we ordered a new one for our bed (we have a king size bed and a queen size pillow top.) to go with our new sheets. And Christmas Day itself was even better than we planned for- Selo's work was locked, so instead of working he was home on Christmas Day. So he is getting paid double time for five hours, and we still got to spend it with each other.

Today, I took our Christmas down. In two hours or less, I had all the ornaments packed up in their case, the tree put away in it's box, and the decorations, cards, and books packed up. It's all sitting next to the couch ready for Selo to put outside. I feel so good to be able to put it all up and take it all down so easily, and still have a complete Christmas from it.

I'm loving music by Michael Buble. I've been listening to him today, and enjoying it thouroughly. People say he was born in the wrong time. But really, can you think of anyone that could bring it back like this? There's just nothing NOT right about his vocals. Pretty good looking kid, too, if ya ask me.

I've gotten a lot of work done on the AAP website. Everyone was amazed at how quickly I was able to get it completely up to date, and that made me feel good. I've been told that a bunch of new fur babies have been adopted in the last few weeks, so I'm sure I'll have more updating to do once the numbers start coming in. Christmas is a good time for new pets.

There has also been some absolutely wonderful feedback on the CMS blog. I can't even begin to describe how that made me feel. Everyone wants to be taken seriously, and wants to know their writing is being read and making a difference. But to be sought out of a crowd and asked to be the writer for a huge website that is known all over the world? Wow.

I'm still working on the other two websites. One is almost finished and will be launched at the beginning of the year. The other is still in Beta for the host and may be a bit longer. But it's progressing, and there are big plans for it.

I took a pregnancy test this morning. Selo and I hadn't planned on TTC until end of next year, and I am still on BC. But with the way he told me he was disappointed this morning when the test was negative, I'm thinking we might be doing the baby dance a lot sooner than end of next year. I've got something really big planned for his birthday, so my focus is going to be on that for the next month. I'm sure we'll be talking more seriously about having a baby after his birthday.

It's a good feeling knowing that this is coming. It's nice knowing that I won't be pushing my husband into having a baby when he isn't ready or doesn't want one. It's comforting to know that he actually wants a child, and not just that we're going to have one because of me or because we got pregnant or because we should. We'll be having a baby because we are emotionally and financially ready, we are mature enough, we are at a good place in our lives, and our marriage is secure enough that we will not only make it through the added stress and joy of a child, but we will grow closer together. We are as prepared as two people can be to have a child, and we will be the best parents we can be when our child is born. Yes, it is a wonderful feeling knowing all of this.

I have almost all of my 2009 Goals defined. Every year, I set ten goals for that year. Not things like "start a diet" or "go to the gym every day". It's things that are actually attainable, have set details, and a specific accomplishment. I'm really looking forward to some of my goals for this coming year. When I think of all that we have went through and all that we accomplished this last year, I am truly amazed. They say what doesn't kill you makes you strong, and Selo and I are definitely proof of that!

Well, I'm off to do more online house hunting. We're going to be setting up some appointments to see some houses within the next little while. Have a great day everyone!

Be sick or be fat. What an option.

Rant: I'm still getting sick in the mornings. It's just like morning sickness, but no, I'm not pregnant. For those of you that think "the test could have been wrong", you might be right. However, considering this has been going on for about a year and no baby has popped out? I'm pretty positive it's not pregnancy. I get sick every morning. Nausea. It stays for a while, and then calms throughout the day. Sometimes it comes back after I eat or if I stay hungry for too long. And lately, I have been getting car sick, so I feel like it's getting worse. Dr says I'm normal and healthy.

I know that if I were to sit here and snack throughout the day, and eat something right before bed so I didn't go all night with an empty stomach, I would be as sick as often. But my complaint about that- it's a recipe for getting fat. Not really what I want, either.

So I'm frustrated. I want this to go away, and I want to be able to go through a day without feeling like I'm gonna puke. What's the deal anyway? Why do I feel this way? I'd probably feel better if I even know why this was going on. It's like my body is sabotaging itself.

Happy October

Mendifae made this cute giftie for Halloween, and passed one on to me. Here's the link to her blog that tells about the image. Isn't it cute? Thanks, Honey!

The month of October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month. Here is a link to the Breast Cancer Site, where simply by clicking on the button on their page you will be donating money to provide women with mammograms. I encourage all you woman to do your regular monthly checks in your home and your regular yearly checkup with your doctor.

I hope you all have a wonderful month of October, a wonderful Halloween, and stay safe and healthy.

Pain in my wrist

I am having a medical issue right now. My wrists hurt. I know I need to go back to physical therapy and all that, but I don't want to take the time off work, pay the co-pays every time, and I definitely don't want to deal with the pain of the ice massage three times a week. It just hurts. But then again, if the pain gets too bad, I'm going to be begging for the heat massage, even if I have to endure the ice with it.

I tried at least

I was rejected to donate blood. And for the lamest reason. Because of my history of passing out. A needle, my own blood, and me cannot be in the same room without me losing consciousness. I feel like the biggest lame-o out there. My mom has donated most of my life. My sister had blood donation as her platform for her pageant. I wasn't able to donate for years because I didn't weigh enough. And now that I do weigh enough, I can't donate because I pass out. (I got lightheaded and my stomach turned over when she poked my finger. That's how bad I am.) But I wanted to. I knew all of these things when I went in there. I went knowing I would pass out, and wanting to do it anyway. So the fact that they had to turn me away because of it? Yeah, I feel like a loser.

As I was walking into the blood mobile (the bus thing that travels around to different businesses for people to donate in) I remember about the article I wrote for the newspaper last year. It really made me miss writing. I thought about the article I wrote that was on the front page, and the ones that followed. The healthy competition to see who could write an article so good it would be chosen for the next front page issue. The importance of gathering details and useful info for research. I really miss writing for a newspaper.

I spent all of last weekend reading a stepmom's blog. Holy cow, I am certainly blessed compared to what she and her husband had to go through. This woman is amazing. I started back as far as the blog did, and I am almost current to today. I don't normally do that, but I wanted to understand where it all had come from. Wow.

Scary

My BIL might have a heart condition. He has had swelling lately and went to the doctor for it. He has had some tests, and is going back to the doctor next week for the results. He's not in immediate danger, so he was sent home from the hospital. Selo and a friend of ours gave Andy a blessing. We are hoping that he will be okay.

Hey did you notice that today is Nine-Nine?

I have fallen in love with Albertsons.com and their grocery delivery. I hate shopping, and hate grocery shopping. I have said for a while I would love to pay someone to do it for me. Well, I found out that it only costs $13 to have them do it all for me. That's it. My time per hour is worth so much more than that, and grocery shopping takes me at least two hours, plus driving there and back. This is going to cut out the stress, the pain, the lugging everything around, the lost shopping lists, the impulse buying, the whole dang mess of it. It's going to save me so much time AND money, and make things so much more convenient. We are having our groceries delivered Saturday early afternoon.

Anybody know what Leptovox is? Some people were talking about it, and I wasn't sure what it was. So I did some research.

Alright time to go home. Finally! I plan on having a nice relaxing weekend.

The Hated Stone

After two ER visits, lots of meds, and significant pain, it finally passed late Friday night. My poor husband had the worst week of his life dealing with this little bugger. And I now see why. (I always thought kidney stones were smooth and round. But this was neither. I can't believe this is what his body produces, and then he had to actually pass it through.)

He is doing much, much better. He has rested since we got back from Nauvoo, and today returned to work and life as normal. He's a trooper, and I love him dearly.

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers.

Another Trip To The ER

Early this morning, Selo woke up in pain. Fifteen minutes later, we were on the way to the ER. He was admitted immediately when we got there. They put him on a mixer of pain meds and anti-inflamitories and then started their series of tests. If you remember back in November, he was in the hospital for this same thing. He has since been seen by several doctors and had several more tests. This has been going on for seven months.

Today, an answer has been found.

As of right now, Selo has a 2.2 mm kidney stone traveling through his right side. It has just left the kidney, and has approximately 15 cm to go before it reaches the bladder. Once it reaches the bladder, the pain will significantly decrease. From the bladder it will be passed out of the body. This could take days to weeks.

We don't know what has caused this. If we are lucky enough to be able to capture the stone, it can be tested. As of now, the doctor gave two meds. One of them to open the tubes the stone has to pass through from the kidney to the bladder, and another for pain. We were also told that once a person has a kidney stone, the stones will likely come more often after the first.

He is now resting. I am glad to see him sleeping.

I am also glad to *finally* know what is wrong. He has been suffering with this on and off for months. It is a relief to both of us to know what is causing his pain. Now, it can be treated. We can change his diet, his activities, his lifestyle, whatever it takes.

The pain can be alleviated.