Jag Alskar Dig

means "I love you" in Swedish.

I think I've only missed one day of practicing Swedish for ten minutes/day this week.

Overwhelmed

That's the way I've felt this week, being on call and Rowdy being hospitalized and all of the uncertainty that went with that, being tired still from last weekend and feeling stressed about the prospect of doing another run with all of the fundraising and things.

So, I have made the decision not to be a part of Team Challenge this season.  Maybe I'll feel more under-control in May and join the Tri team, and I will definitely donate to my friends' fundraising sites.

Rowdy's doctors swung from thinking that for sure he has a fistula and a Crohn's flare and needed to be on TPN for three months with absolutely nothing by mouth to being sure that he doesn't have a fistula, can eat whatever he wants and is having a Crohn's flare.  The flare is probably due to the stress of having a wound infection.  He went to the OR last night and had things cleaned out.  He did really, really well, and is pretty much feeling just fine now. He gets to come home tomorrow.

Love Eternal

There is so much to post about this weekend and current goings-on, but I will just post about two things:

1)  Rowdy is back in the hospital with the hope that the source of his infection will finally be discovered and treated.  Whatever happens to Rowdy, I know that he and I will always find each other.

There really was a guy named Toughie at Tough Guy Lanes in Pocatello.  Rowdy is my tough guy.

2)  The branch  president of the care center my grandma was living in spoke at her funeral.  He said that Grandma renewed her temple recommend just twelve days before her death.  She testified of her faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  As they were chatting, Grandma said, "When I get up there, I have something to say to my husband".  The BP was a little nervous, thinking that she'd say something like, "I'm going to ask him why he left me here alone for so darn long!"  Finally, he said, "Oh, what is it?"

"I'm going to tell him that I love him."

Oh, what a joyful reunion that must have been!

Much love to my aunties and cousins, including my great-aunt Viva and cousin Janine (hope I spelled that right).  (You'd be surprised who are frequent blog-readers.)  And love and thanks to Cindy and Djon for coming to the funeral.

Love those Talbot women!

Some of Mom's cousins--"Little Harriet", Maureen, the guy that Mama had a little girl crush on and Willie (and his wife, I think).

Oh, For the Love of...

It's going to take a lot of work to get ready for even just a measly sprint triathlon.  Well, the running and cycling parts are easy.  It's the swimming part that I stink at.  My grade-school years were spent in swim classes.  I was even the 8-and-under backstroke champion of Eugene, Oregon, for Pete's sake!  You'd think I'd be better at swimming.  For some reason, though, I'm kind of a flailer.  Oh well.  I'm not saying that I can't get better.  I'm just saying that it's going to take a lot of work.  My inaugural workout tonight consisted of me swimming 25 meters, resting, swimming again, resting.  I didn't count laps, but I made sure that I stayed in the pool for 30 minutes.

One of my challenges for the week is to run with a friend.  A group of women in my ward run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, but they meet at 8 am, which is about the time I go to work.  I was a little worried I wasn't going to be able to get something worked out, but I have hit on a very fun solution.  While I'm in Utah this weekend, I'll be able to run with my sister-in-law, Tory, and also with my cousin, Trisch.  I am very excited about this.  I'd have to say that, after my big sister, Trisch was the second friend I ever had.  She's a couple of years younger than me, and her mama used to babysit Dayna and me while my mom worked.  Trisch was just a baby and I was a toddler, but I'm sure we were friends.

I Love My Grandma

My little grandma, Wilma Swainston Bright, passed away today.  She would have turned 100 in May.  She actually was quite active, living by herself until she was about 94 or so.  (I don't remember.  Time has really passed quickly the last few years.) 

Grandma was a worker--she taught school as a young woman, and when Grandpa passed away at the tender age of 48 and she was left with four of her five daughters still at home, she went to work at JC Penney.  She was an indefatigable temple worker.  She and her old-lady friends would drive up to the Idaho Falls Temple from Pocatello and do session after session.  She did that into her 80's, driving her own car.

I think that I got my independence, work ethic and love of temple service from her.  I did not get her talent for sewing, quilting, crocheting...basically any kind of needlework.  I might have gotten her talent for baking.  She made a mean mincemeat pie and sour cream chocolate cookies.

I am so happy to know that Grandma and Grandpa are together, after she was without him for so long.   He probably came for her, but right behind him most likely were her sisters, Laura and Harriet, who preceeded her in death, and her mom and dad.  It must have been a wonderful reunion!

Sweetness...Sugarpants...Sweet, uh, belly

I did the weirdest therapeutic thing I have ever done tonight, and I have actually applied leeches to someone. 

One of our physician friends recommended packing R's wounds with sugar, plain table sugar.  It sounds crazy.  It is crazy.  But it works, according to this friend who has to deal with a lot of nasty wounds.  The sugar cuts off oxygen to the bacteria, isn't used as a food source, and causes a shift in fluid, drawing the pus out. 

Wouldn't it be funny if sugar healed the man who is a major sugar freak?

Easily Distracted

I have been looking forward to selecting the new challenges for next week.  Oh, I've accomplished a couple of this week's challenges, but I am easily distracted by the vagaries of life. 

The most novel experience of the day today was when I got to hold Rowdy's hand while the PA opened his abdominal wounds up to look for the source of his never-ending infection.  I have to admit to a little bit of wooziness on my part.  It's just...here's my sweetheart getting cut open.  Ugh!  Being a radiologist, my tendency is to image first, see what's going on, then cut (or needle and tube).  But surgeons are a different breed, and in their estimation, nothing can't be cured by the application of cold, hard steel.

Rowdy will have a CT on Sunday, in which we will all be able to see what is going on.  Based on that, he may get a drainage catheter (which one of my colleagues will put in), or more surgery.  This is just a typical Valentine's Day for us.  I can think of one Valentine's day in five years where we actually were able to do something together.  We went to Supercross, and it was lots of fun. 

Every Breath You Take

Running has never come easy to me.  The most frustrating thing to me was to train and train and never really feel like I was getting any better.  I was huffing and puffing all the time.  My friend, June, asked me if I had asthma, because I was breathing too hard and too fast for the rate we were running, and I sounded like I was wheezing.

Fortunately, our across-the-street neighbor and friend, Herb, is a pulmonologist, so I asked him what he thought.  He asked me three questions:  1)  do you have allergies? 2) do you have excema and 3)  do you have reflux?  I answered yes to all three questions, and he said, "Oh yeah, you have asthma.  I'll order pulmonary function tests for you."

So the test was today, and the official read was "mild asthma, somewhat relieved with bronchodilators".  Herb gave me a prescription for an inhaler, which I have started.  I am really looking forward to running now.  I hope that I can see a difference, maybe start to run faster and longer.  Oh, if only I could run as fast as Molly and Tory!

Wednesday--Let's Give Our Best Today

That was a high-school friend's status update today.  I think I did give it my best.  How 'bout you?

Rowdy and I finally went to see Tangled.  It was cute.  A line from one of the songs sums R up quite well:  I've got scars and bumps and bruises and a thing right here that oozes, but somewhere deep inside I have a dreeaaaam!

Love That Tuesday

Today was my half-day, so Rowdy and I were able to go to the mall together.  K needed some new dress shoes, so R handled that while I got an eye-makeup makeover at MAC.  (I actually went to Nordy, but the MAC girl couldn't help me, and I wasn't really into the other places.)  We also bought Valentine's card for the Valentine's Bird to deliver.

Wouldn't you like the Valentine's Bird to visit your house next Monday?

We also had a marvelous RS meeting this evening.  The theme was "bargain meals", and people made such delicious meals.  I have to qualify that--I made red beans and rice--definitely the quintessential bargain food, but I didn't think it was quite as fantastic as everyone else's.  I'm just not a bargain shopper.

Monday Lovin'

I went to Spinning at my gym today.  It was the first time back at my gym in, oh, like six months.  Hey, I've been hitting the streets.  But anyhoo, class was fun.  The Monday evening spin teacher usually has good music, and the time goes by quickly. 

So I loved class, and I also loved that people said that they missed me and wanted me to come to the gym again.

I loved going to Luna Grill with R and K for dinner and hearing about K's return to jiujitsu.  He worked so hard he puked.  It made his dad so proud!

How Did Last Week Go?

Well, it was amazing to me how there was something sweet to tempt me EVERY SINGLE DAY.  But I stayed strong and didn't rationalize or sneak anything.  I was also amazed at how I was still craving sweets after six days. 

Having gone the week without eating sweets, I know that I will be more cognizant of what I eat and will have the willpower to say no most of the time. 

The Church Handbook is very interesting reading.  There are things that I did as a ward Primary President that weren't in keeping with the handbook.  I like that I know more about why things are done the way that they're done.  The best part is how the handbook stresses that the Lord stands at the head of the Church, and we need to do things the way that He would do them.

The present I sent Dayna was really for her cats.  I never send them toys on Christmas, so I thought they would like some cute little catnip toys.  It's just fun to send people (and cats) little presents.

How Do I Love Today?

Sunday naps.  A delicious dinner of baked gnocchi with tomato sauce and chicken and brussels sprouts.  Being able to break my fast with not one but two Sprinkles cupcakes.  Yup, I couldn't stop at one.  They were marvelous.

You can read my new challenges in the sidebar, but I will put in a jump just for fun...

Today in Love

I loved getting a pedicure today.  I've put it off for two months, and my toes and feet were in sad shape.  My toes are a sparkly dark teal. 

I loved getting inspiration and an answer right when I needed it.  I hope that it really helps things.

I loved talking to my mom on her birthday.  She's an awesome mommy!

I loved selecting next week's challenges.  It involves some retail therapy!

I Would Love...

some major retail therapy.  There are so many things I would love, like new snowboarding gear, new running clothes, that cute skirt from Talbot's Jaime featured on her blog, new straight-leg jeans....  But I didn't clean my closet out that much.

Love Month, You Say?

Yes, it is "Love Month", the month of St. Valentine.  I do have many loves, including people, places and things.  Love, love, love family and friends, SD weather in February, and the fact that I only have half an hour left in ultrasound this morning.  I definitely love my "private patient", Mrs. L, who I see every three months for a tube change.  She brings chocolates every time.  The one-pound box of Whitman's she brought today will have to be eaten by my crew, given that this is "no sweets week". 

I have two Sprinkles cupcakes in the freezer, waiting for the end of "NSW".