In case anyone was wondering, I AM alive! I underwent spinal surgery and had a really rough time of things but I'm very slowly recovering at home.

I am in a large, heavy neck brace and not allowed on the computer for more than a few minutes at a time (and can't break the rules because my body won't let me. It screams in pain if I stay online too long. Hate it!) but I wanted to thank everyone who has sent me messages privately or on my profile or review pages. I really appreciate that you care and that you have asked about me.

It's going to be a long haul - longer than I anticipated - but I have every intention of coming back and getting back to work as soon as humanely possible. I miss my VP friends and the discussion boards as well as just being part of this community. I do try to read and rate some reviews when I can and I am trying to log in and see what's going on. I don't like being out of the loop!

Again, thank you for your concern. All I can do now is to follow doctor's orders and, hopefully, start physical therapy next month. My ultimate goal is getting this huge neck brace OFF for good. I'm going to throw it out the window pretty soon if I'm not allowed to take it off!

I hope to check back in soon and will blog again. I really do miss you all!

I just wanted to thank everyone that have been wishing me well on my upcoming surgery. I appreciate your kind words and will be back in the swing of things in no time. I'm so proud to be a part of such a caring community. I don't think there is a nicer group of people anywhere. *hugs* Tomorrow is surgery day. For those who don't know, I'm having a multi-level ACDF to help correct bulging & herniated discs as well as bone spurs and to alleviate pressure on my spine. Going to the hospital at 6:30am and having surgery at 8:30am. I'll be in the hospital a day or two and will be wearing a neck collar for at least six weeks. I can't even tolerate turtlenecks! I am going to go crazy with that thing on me. I have to sleep with it AND shower with it. I'm mostly not looking forward to the scar that will be on my neck. Of course I should be worried about the surgery itself but I guess I'm a little vain. :P Will be going to physical therapy a few times a week to get everything working properly. I'm so not looking forward to ANY of this but I am anxious to feel better again. I realize that the recovery process is going to be long but hopefully worth it. Will be back soon everyone and thank you again for all your nice comments. It means a lot. :)

Went to the doctor's yesterday to get medical clearance for my upcoming surgery and today went to the neurosurgeon and the hospital for pretesting. Had to have a chest X-Ray, EKG, blood drawn and so much more. Ugh. As the surgery date approaches, I feel more and more like backing out. After meeting with all the doctors it sounds like the recovery period is going to be longer than I thought. :( As it stands ... I will be having an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion on 10/14 and most likely will not be around much after that for awhile. Wish me luck! :/

I'm still alive and kicking! Will be posting some new reviews soon. Having some neck/back/spine issues that limits me from the computer. Hope all is well with everyone! <3

Just wanted to say hello to everyone. Life is kicking my butt right now but I will be back in the swing of things in no time. Meanwhile, hope you are all having a wonderful Spring! @-----}-

Just a little note to say that I'm going to be MIA for most of the month of April. I have a few personal issues that need to be tended to and my family and I will be taking a trip to Mississippi to spend Easter break with some of the hubby's relatives.

I hope you all have a very Happy Easter! @---}-

"I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself."

-- Walter Anderson

WOOO HOOO! I hit the big 4 0 0! I'm finally an "official" member of the PC team. It seems like only yesterday that I started writing reviews here. 400 reviews later, I am just as enthused as I was on my 1st. All together now,  "YOU GO GIRL!" lol :P

 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE! I hope you are all spending some quality time with your better halves! *hugs* XOXO

Ugh .. I'm as sick as a dog. (never understood that) Anyway, I woke up in the middle of the night a few days ago with the worst sore throat I ever had. By the next morning, I was 100% ill. I'm hot, I'm cold, my throat feels like razor blades, my eyes burn and my head hurts. Okay... I'm done whining. I feel YUCKYYY! :0.  NOW I'm done whining. :P

I'm watching the inauguration of Barack Obama and the crowd that has gathered is truly a remarkable sight. I'm watching history in the making right before my eyes. The oath has just been taken. He is officially the very first African American President of the United States. Here's hoping that all of our futures will be a lot brighter.  

My baby will be turning 8 years old tomorrow. I can't even believe it. It feels like it was just yesterday that he was crawling around. Time really does fly. I am so proud of the boy he has become. So smart, handsome and funny. What I love the most is that he still lets me hug and snuggle with him! 

Well, the holidays are over and now all the bills are rolling in. Every year I say I'm not going to charge anything and every year I do. This year was the worst of all. Ugh! I don't even want to get the mail. There are 365 days in a year so can someone tell me why I don't start shopping earlier? I could at least spread out the cost if I did it that way instead of cramming it all into two weeks or so. Somebody slap me! 

If you thought I was panicking in my last blog about Christmas ... you should see me now. I have only sent out some Christmas cards, bought only a very few gifts and haven't even put the lights up outside yet. I'm going to hide under the covers. Tell me when it's 2009! Can someone please make the earth stop rotating for just one day please? I need to catch up! HO.. HO.. HELP!

Well, Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is soon approaching. So much to do and so little time! My oldest sister keeps asking me if I've started writing my cards out or if I have wrapped any gifts yet. WHAT? Wrapped gifts? I haven't even bought anything yet. The pressure is on! Every year I say that the next year, I am going ot start early so I can actually enjoy the holiday. Do I ever start early? Noooo. Sigh. Happy Holidays ....

I haven't disappeared folks! I have just been really busy working on getting my parents' house cleaned out, repaired and sold. My mother passed away in 1996 and my father in 2006 but we had some family members living there until recently. We are just now getting the closure that we so badly need. Going through all of the old photos, childhood papers and our parent's belongings in the attic has been difficult but necessary.  I will be popping in and out rating and writing but just a little slower than usual!  

Welcome to Viewpoints!! Hopefully the reviews that I write will help you make a well informed decision regarding what products you should spend your hard earned money on. All of my reviews are from personal experience and hopefully they will give you an idea of what you may experience with a certain product. Everyone likes to know that what they are writing is actually being read. A great way for me to know is by you, the reader, clicking the "YES" button next to the question "did you find this review helpful?" at the bottom of the review. It would be very much appreciated! Why not sign up and let your voice be heard too? Give it a try! Viewpoints is a very friendly community and a stress-free zone! It is a great opportunity for you to share your opinions on products for people just like you. Happy reading and hopefully writing too!! ~Laurie~