$50....For a phone number?!

Well, today I had my appointment with the specialist, who actually seemed to know what he was talking about. However, where my problem is he wouldn't be able to work on it and reffered me to an Orthopedic Surgeon. So there went $50.o0 for a phone number. At least he was honest. So tomorrow I will give this other guy a call and see what he says. This doctor said if it wasn't hurting these types of things they'd put under observation but since it does hurt and has for quite some time he thinks they will suggest cuterage. We'll see I guess. He did seem very optimistic that it is just a benign bone cyst so that's a good thing.

Early Christmas Present

Well my DH let me have one of my Christmas presents early, a new camera. I picked it up on Black Friday. He was at work and I was snagging some sales for the kid's Christmas. (Side note, Black Friday is SCARY!) As I was walking through the aisles my brother picked up a camera and showed it to me. It was too bulky, like the one I have and never use because of the size and the many options you have to manually select for good up close mini photos or even photos of the kids. I said I'd rather have a small one I can carry with me easily and it has to be red of course but I wasn't there to buy for myself. He said, "Oh you mean like this one?" and proceeded to pull a small box off a shelf in the toy department where it had been discarded. I snatched it from him, it was PERFECT, ran to the scanner thingy that tells you the prices, after a minor moment of shock at how inexpensive and a few choice words to my brother about tempting me with stuff, I slid the camera into my pile of gifts, picked out a Pink Paisley case and SD card and proceeded to check out. I saved close to 30 bucks on this camera. I believe it was 40 total. Guilty isn't the word for it. I had bought myself a present when I was supposed to be focused solely on others. When I got home I handed the bag to DH and told him to take it, wrap it and then hide it from me till Christmas so I wouldn't be tempted to sneak it early. Last night he asked me if I wanted to open a gift Christmas Eve and I said yes I know exactly which one too. He laughed and said to open it now so I could get used to it and be able to use it Christmas...besides he hadn't wrapped it yet anyways. = ) I tore into it like a wild animal and started snapping random pictures to see how it worked. At the store, I had a hard time understanding what I was reading, (I blame it on the time it was 2 in the morning) and was really worried it was going to be a bad deal after all. Boy am I glad I was wrong! The zoom feature which on the box was stated as 5xPanoramic zoom really meant 5xOptical. It's been only 8 years since I worked in the photo lab but so much has changed since then apparently and I don't use that feature often anyways but I hate digital zoom. My biggest complaint about my old camera was that if I wanted to take a nice photo of a mini project I had to flip through all the settings to get to it and then remember to flip it back so I could take normal pics later. This camera does it for me and the picture quality is much better. I took a couple of the furniture waiting to be painted and my finished "Not so Tall" bench.

Christmas is almost here!

Well, Christmas is almost here and I just finished all of my shopping. I've been working on the furniture for my Lydia Pickett House. About time right? LOL I finished the "not so tall" bench for the front porch and FINALLY installed the porch and portico rugs. I spent last weekend modge podging all of the paper decals for the kits that I have so when I get to them I don't have to wait for them to dry before completing something. I also put together the Al Fresco Dining table, side table, fireplace, mantle frame and the tiny boat for the mantle piece. I did learn that exhaling sharply when working on a teeny tiny boat is a bad thing. Little bugger went flying across the room. I spent quite awhile on hands and knees searching the carpet. Finally found it and fortunately it was all good. Now these pieces are all ready to paint. = )

I've been trying to get the RL house all cleaned for Christmas weekend. That way I can relax and enjoy myself. Which is why I haven't been working on the Arthur lately. I know if I go into my craft room for "just a minute" I'll be emerging hours later with no house work accomplished and too exhausted to clean. LOL. At least the furniture I can bring in and set up on a TV stand and since it's in the living room it gives me a view of practically the whole house so I can't forget that it's a mess. This way I can still mini and clean at the same time. Been working like a charm. I'd get more accomplished cleaning wise if I put all of my crafts away but then my disposition would go down the pooper and stress levels through the roof. Safer to compromise with myself.

Also, when not cleaning or mini-ing I've been reading. Just finished Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. Loved it! It was rather slow in parts but after a certain point it picked up and I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen next. I may have found a new favorite author. Already added quite a few of her other books to my wish list. I caved awhile ago and agreed to let my husband buy me the Kindle. I was adamant that I would never like it and it was horrible to ruin the experience of reading a book, the feel of the pages etc etc. Well I still love reading an actual book more but the Kindle has been wonderful since almost all pre-1923 books are free and those are the ones I most like to read. And then, as if that wasn't great enough, they come up with the lender's library. Where if you have Prime membership with Amazon you can read 1 free book a month off of their list. My December choice is Water for Elephants. Just a few weeks ago I almost bought it, have been tempted off and on since to do it and then found it on the lender list for free. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it enough to pay money for. This way is much better. Almost $80 bucks a year for Prime membership but with how many orders myself and my husband place it's paid for itself in 2 day shipping and other incentives.

The Good, The Bad and The Tumor....?

Got the results back yesterday afternoon. There is definitly something there and it's not scar tissue. There were 2 differentials suggested, a chondroma or slow-growing giant cell tumor. My dad is a PA and a realy really good one at that; better then the doctors I have seen, and I'm not being completely biased either. So I took the disc with the x-rays, and MRI on it to him for his opinion. After comparing my images and symptons to those on the AAOS website it looks like it is either an aneursymal bone cyst or a slow-growing giant cell tumor. Good news is that those are normally non-cancerous. Bad news they most likely will need surgery to remove and depending on how big and destroyed the surrounding bone(s) is/are will depend on how intense the surgery will be. I have an appointment Monday morning with my FP doctor to disscuss the results and we will go from there.
I, of course, am nervous. On the results from the Radiologist who read the MRI he suggested a biopsy or resection and if that wasn't what the doctor wants then at least have another MRI in 4-6 months. I am all for getting it removed. It had already started to bother me before the x-ray but because my Pediatrist told me my foot was fine and there was nothing there I never persued it, thinking it must just be all in my head if they can't see anything. I'm a bit pissy about that right now. Although it doesn't appear to have grown and the report says it has been stable since April of 2009 it could have been different and that bothers me. I would rather just skip the biopsy and go straight for removal. One, biopsy includes a freaking huge needle, see the last postas to how I'd handle that. = / Two, if they do a biopsy more likely then not they would come back and suggest removal anyways to reduce the risk of it becoming something worse, so I would have been subjected to the ginormous needle for nothing. At least with the resection they would put me under without me having to be deal with anything bigger then an IV. Slice and dice away but stay away from me with needles. LOL. Weird I know but hey, who can rationalize an irrational fear?
My poor husband, last time I broke my foot I had to stay at my parents house for the recovery period. Couldn't drive with the boot on and his and my work schedule, plus the baby and the steps leading up to our house, made it impossible for me to safely stay at home. So every time I trip he begs "Please don't break your foot! I don't want to live at your parents again!" HAHA imagine his face when I got back and said "Don't worry hunny, my foot's not broken this time but I may have a tumor in it and may have to have surgery. So guess what!? That means we get to stay at my parents again!" Yeah I'm a little evil. LOL He's a sweety though, he didn't even cry! ; )

RL strikes again...no time for minis : (

Well, I've no progress on any mini projects to report and haven't had a chance to upload any pictures of either my kids' adorable costumes because I have been so extremely swamped with work and RL lately. Mid November I had to fly to Boston for a business trip. I hate flying but it's amazing what a double shot Strawberry Margarita can do for your nerves before take off LOL. My sister-in-law was able to fly out with me and when I was finished with work we had a great time. Not much sight-seeing was done as it wasn't their "season" any more BUT I did get to go to Orchard House and Authors Ridge in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. I about cried being able to go inside Louisa May Alcott's house. It was absolutely amazing. It also doubled my resolve to build this house in miniature. I even bought a set of simple saltbox dollhouse plans that will work wonderfully for the basic shell with minor alterations.

On a more serious note, I once again injured myself. I tripped over a sub-woofer at my parents' house. Thought I had broken my baby toe and possibly the side of my foot. Right foot AGAIN! So not wanting to be as stupid as last time and walk on a broken foot for 2 1/2 months before getting it fixed I went to the ER the following morning. Figured they'd have to wait for the swelling to go down a bit before they could check it anyways. While there they took an x-ray. From just looking at it they were pretty sure it was broken or dislocated, but amazingly neither was true. However, they did see something "abnormal" on the x-ray and scheduled me for an out-patient MRI to rule out tumor. NOT something I was expecting. The guy did ask if have had any pain in my foot and my immediate reply was no. As I was leaving the ER it struck me that maybe the achy feeling I've had in the area of my old break was what they were looking at. I had actually gone in after the break had healed to see if there was something wrong because at times it would feel like it was broken again, they had told me the break healed fine and there was nothing there and it was probably just sore tissue from the break taking so long to heal. I immediately got the earliest appointment for an MRI and copies of the new x-rays. I popped the CD onto my PC and found a strange circle-like thingy (no other word to describe it) about the size of a nickel smack dab in the center of my foot. I also was able to take a look at the older x-ray I had had taken when I complained about my foot after it healed and the same thing was on that x-ray except it was lighter and slightly smaller. I'm a bit pissed that I've gone this long with something like that and getting pretty much blown off last time. I have high hopes that it will just be scar tissue from the break but it's still frustrating for the other doctor to ignore me like it was all in my head.

Yesterday I had the MRI. Talk about an ordeal for me LOL. I have a horrible irrational fear of needles. Just the word makes my pulse race and my knees weak. I was all set for the MRI, walked into the room with the machine and they start their preliminary questions. After the tech reviews the two conflicting requests from the imaging DR who read the x-ray and the ER DR who I never even saw and figures out what test really needs to be done, he turns and asks "Ok, you all ready for the contrast?" My legs about went out from under me. I was told it would just be a normal non-needle MRI. I was not expecting this. So after some long long breathes to calm down I laid on the table trying not to hyperventilate or cry (big sissy that I am) and closed my eyes. I now believe that having needles sprang upon me is worse then being able to prepare myself for days in advance. Pretty sure I almost passed out, at least I wouldn't have had far to go if I had. As I was laying there he asks how I'm doing and I said I was fine. That was till I opened my eyes and everything had pretty rainbow circles over it and my ears got really warm. Immediately closed my eyes, started my "calm down and go to your happy place" breathing technique. I was extremely lucky that the tech also has a fear of needles, at least when they are being put into him, and he was very good and understanding. After the IV was in the MRI was a breeze. I was never afraid of the machine to begin with. Took about 40 minutes total. And the results should be available today for me to pick up, or I can wait 3-4 business days for my FP doctor to get them, review them and schedule an appointment....hmmm.... which will this impatient patient be doing? LOL.