Something to think about as we move into the CHRISTMAS season!
 According to the Alberta Department of Fish and Game, while both male
and  female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to December.
 Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring.
      Therefore, according to historical rendition depicting Santa’s reindeer,
every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen had to be a girl.  We should
have known……only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red
velvet  suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

Well, it looks like Christmas will be paid for.  I have had one photo session and have 3 more lined up before we leave for the holidays. 

As many of you know, Friday was the dreaded day.  I had my little surgery.  We dropped SV off at Grandma’s the night before and heard she didn’t so so well.  I think she may be a little attached to me (or my hair) she cries if she can’t play with my hair before she falls asleep.  Sorry Grandma and Grandpa.  Anyway, the next morning Brian dropped me off (just kidding) he took me to the surgery center and they checked me in.  This means for you surgery novices that they make you take off all your clothes, except for your socks and put on one of those open at the back numbers.  Then you lay in a bed next to all the other poor folks having procedures done.  They put a nice warm blanket on you (the last nice thing to happen) and then they put a smurf hat on your head.  Then the dreaded IV.  Past IV’s have been in my wrist area.  This one was on the inside of my arm.  I dislike IV’s more than just about anything.  My doctor got stuck in traffic and they had some questions for him so I had to sit there for over and hour with that thing attached to my arm.  They weren’t able to give me that happy drug until they cleared something with my doc and had me sign one more document.  In the mean time Brian sang and danced for me and did magic tricks like pulling off his thumb.  I made sure I went potty before they took me into surgery this time so I didn’t wake up with a full bladder.  That was a process all hooked up to the IV, open at the back and trying to weild a big blanket for protection of my backside.

What is the happy meds, I asked.  It is something they give you so you aren’t anxious.  Looking back I can tell you almost immedietly when I got it.  It was right before they wheeled me into surgery.  We went down the hall to the cold surgery room with lots of equiptment and they had me move over to the “table” where the procedure would be done.  I won’t go into details about it. Then I remember making all sorts of stupid comments about the lights and the little tables for my arms.  (I remembered all this after and I couldn’t figure out why I was being such a moron)  I remembered them  saying something about he happy drug.  Aha!  So it wasn’t me just being a dope.  I was  never asked to count or anything like that.  I woke up 3 hours later and my first thought was that my bum hurt.  I rolled onto my side and the nurse jumped on me right away, “This is not your bed at home, you have to lay on your back.”  I explained the tailbone issue and and she let me stay slightly askew.  As I tried to come out of the anesthisia, my next thought was that it was over.  Thank goodness.  I was in mild pain and so they gave me some demoral.  It help with my tailbone more than anything.  The IV had slipped a little and the demoral went under my skin a bit and swelled up something feirce.  I have a gnarly bruise now that doesn’t hurt at all.  I was able to leave about 30 minutes later. Brian fed me soup and cold cerial when we got home.  Not because he is incapable of other things but that is what I wanted.  He turned on all the Christmas lights for me and let me sleep while he went a got my some more pain killers. 

SV spent one more night with the grandfolks and did better I heard tell.  Serra A returned home the same evening and I talked to them both. 

On Saturday, Brian picked up SV and she would not leave my side the rest to the day and most of Sunday.  She patted my face and kissed me and played with my hair, of course.  She has been a little weepy becuase she wants me to do more for her and not daddy, so we packed her off to grandma’s again today.  Brian picked up a cousin on the way though so she has someone to play with.  (I’m not sure which cousin went)

I feel really good this morning.  I can FEEL the incisions but I don’t need anything for pain.  I don’t have any cramping.  My behind still hurts a little butt it is getting better too.  Thanks family for helping us out through this.