5 DAYS LOST ... AND STILL COUNTING

Imagine you are on the BIGGEST and FASTEST carnival ride ever .... one that is a combination of a ferris wheel, a carousel and a rollercoaster. Now imagine that it the ride has gone beserk and that it cannot be turned off. That, my friends, has been my life since I woke up on Thursday morning with vertigo. Today (Tuesday) is the first day that I can actually sit in an upright position and do something other than moan or throw-up. The dizziness is still there, although it does seem to be subsiding. I can turn to the right without getting dizzy. I guess the other directions will follow (hopefully, soon).

It is amazing that someone can lose 5+ days of her life and have nothing to show for it. I didn't just lose time from work; I lost time spent with God; time spent with my husband; time spent talking to my children; time spent with friends. I couldn't eat, couldn't clean, couldn't read, couldn't watch TV, couldn't drive, couldn't focus on anything other than trying to stop the spinning. I've realized how much of my life I take for granted ~~ from the little things like going to the bathroom by myself, taking a shower, getting dressed, finding the kitchen to get something to drink or eat. I've taken my relationships with others for granted, as well. I am truly blessed to have had my husband beside me this entire time. Without him, I'd still be in the same sweat-drenched nightgown I woke up in last Thursday. I probably would be unemployed because the orders were never done. I wouldn't have the medication the doctor prescribed because I wouldn't have been able to find the phone to call the doctor in the first place. He truly has been my life-saver during all of this.

I cannot explain how this happened or why. I know the technical medical reason that vertigo occurs. The inner ear contains fluid and small particles that float around in it. When those particles get "stuck," your brain cannot tell whether you are right side up or upside down and sends you into a spin. But what causes those particles to get stuck in the first place? When I went to bed on Wednesday night, I was fine. When I woke up 8 hours later, I was not. My doctor seems to think this may have been caused by an inner ear infection but that's not a certain diagnosis. It has to run its course and try to help the symptoms with medication. However, one of the side effects of the medication is that it causes extreme drowsiness .... so I have slept away the better part of a week.

I have been up since 7:30 am and it is now noon .... time for another nap. Hopefully, this nap will be a short one. Sleeping 20 hours a day may sound like a great thing to some of you reading this; but, believe me, it's not!

Lessons from Grand-Mommyhood

Even though I've only been a grandmother for 7 months, there are many things I've learned. Here are a few ...

Being a grandmother is my third favorite title ... right behind wife and mom!

There have been so many new baby inventions to make it easier for today's moms. I wonder why someone cannot come up with a diaper that eliminates the smell of poop!!

When God made the male species, he gave them a gene that makes them think their farts are funny. This weekend, I watched a dear friend's 1-yr old son. He walked over and sat in his little chair, lifted his right leg in the air and farted, then looked up at me with a great big grin on his face.

Not being able to see my grandchild makes my heart hurt.

It used to be that we'd take a trip to visit our daughter and son-in-law. Now, we take a trip to see our grandson (and if his parents are around, that's a double blessing).

Our children may not have been perfect, by our grandchild is!!

Love really does multiply with each generation.

There is still no better feeling in the world then to love and cuddle a child in your arms.

Motherhood has taught me more lessons than anything else in my life. Sometimes, I've learned the lesson quickly; other times, I have had to have the lesson repeated before I finally got "it." Here are a few things I have learned along the way ...

* Knowing how much I love my children, I am amazed to think that God loves them (and me) even more.
* My mom was right -- patience is not a gift that God automatically gives you. It is a virtue that He teaches us to acquire.
* When your mommy intuition tells you that something is just not right, pay attention!
* If you neglect to wash behind your ears (and other hidden places), something will grow there.
* Nothing I read in any of the baby books prepared me for the moment my child moved away from home.
* A mother's love really does multiply with the birth of each of her children.
* Convincing your child that his loose tooth really does have to come out may qualify you to become a hostage negotiator.
* One of the best gifts you can give to yourself as a parent and to your child is to make sure that you surround yourself with friends who share the same Christian beliefs that you do.
* When your husband is sick, he may not be able to differentiate between an oral and rectal thermometer. Try not to laugh out loud should this happen :-)

There is so much more I've learned in the 30 years I have been a mother. They will have to wait for another time.