Virtual Pampered Chef Show

In the past I have been an Independent Consultant for The Pampered Chef. After many requests from friends and family, I'm hosting a Pampered Chef Party! Since my friends in Blogland can't come over for the Open House today, I'm hosting a Virtual Show.

Right here.

Right now.

Here's the way it works...

1. Look online.
2. eMail me (leavemealone@yours.com) by 8:23pm MST Sunday.
3. I'll randomly draw a winner to receive 10% of their entire order!

Now. It's time to get STONED!

The November Special is 20% off Unglazed Stoneware!!! This is just in time for Holiday Cooking! You can order as many cookie sheets, bread pans, muffin pans, fluted stones, bar pans, and pizza stones as you want... all at 20% off!

If you REALLY want to go crazy, you could host a show of your own and get 60% of a couple of stones!!!

If you'd like a piece of stoneware, for yourself or a gift, I have some great recipe collections for the Mini Loaf Pan, Stoneware Fluted Pan, Hot Dips (for Mini-Baker) and Pizza Recipes (for Large Round Stone, Large Bar Pan, or Round Stone with Handles, Large.) I am happy to email these recipes to you!

Remember to email me your order (product number, item name, and your contact info) by 8:23 tomorrow night... for your chance to win 10% off your entire order!

Getting a Chill On

Can you believe it was just last week that I snapped these pictures?


Somehow, I knew I'd need to document some of our last "nice" days of the year.


With the sub-freezing temperatures and "Wyoming Winds" of the past few days, I can't believe I took these just last week either!

We Know that We Don't Know

We now know that we don't know what the Source of Frank's infection is.

The contrasted CaT Scan told us that the infection is not in the sinus cavity or intracranial... these are VERY good things. It could still be in the bone or tissue, it could also be Frank's body rejecting the Stainless Steel Wires that were put in five years ago. The Pediatric ENT was leaning strongly toward the posiblity of Frank's body rejecting the metal wires.

A culture was done on the infection. We'll have the results Monday. We'll probably change his antibiotic once it's known what type of infection this is. The new antibiotic could be oral or intreveneous... in which case the PICC line could be installed here in our town.

We're not out of the woods yet. We could still be facing surgery in two to six weeks.

In the meantime, I have to clean his wound out three times a day. Frank is very patient. He gets the supplies out and is curious about the cleaning process.

Appointments

After the wound opened up, it leaked for about 18 hours. Currently, it's red and nearly flat. The local medical facilities in Wyoming couldn't perform the necessary imaging, so, we have appointments this morning at the University of Utah Medical Center and Primary Children's Center to have a 3D CaT Scan and meet with the Pediatric Otolaryngologist (ENT).

Frank and I stayed the night at a friend's in Salt Lake City to make this morning easier, and another friend has Jack with her (who also happens to be on a trip from Wyoming to SLC!)

Will let you know what happens.

Spider Bite Election

Ironically, on this election day, I'm more concerned about a spider bite on my son's dorsum (bridge of his nose) than I am about whether my candidates won or not. This is pretty wild to me because I was up all night at the last presidential election, giving myself a migraine, worrying about the results of the election. This year, I've been up for the past two hours cropping photos of Frank for the past five weeks.

Anyone who personally knows us, knows that on Frank's first birthday, in 2003, we discovered a birth-defect that required surgeries and many years of treatment for Frank. The treatments went incredibly well and after five years we were given a "clean bill of health." Regrettably, there is still sensitivity at the site where a donor bone was put in... at the bridge of Frank's nose. The bridge of his nose, and half of his right eye socket came from the femur of an unknown cadaver. Whenever Frank gets bumped or bonked at the site, there is swelling and often redness. We understand that this is part of the "assimilation process" for his "bone matrix".

Unfortunately, on our trip to California, Frank woke up on his 6th birthday with a spider bite dead-on the site of his donor bone. We've been watching and waiting. After 2 1/2 weeks I took him to a doctor. At four weeks, he was put on an antibiotic. Now, he's got a nice crater from the infection coming out. It's gross. It's scary. I don't like it.

If you're interested, here is the information I've been compiling for the doctors, followed by some yucky pictures.

Wednesday 1 October 2008
• Wakes up with small pink-red area on right side of dorsum of nose.
• Looks like a spider bite.
• Progresses through “normal” bite look:
o Redder, then pinker;
o Bigger, then smaller.
o Light pink with scaly skin.

Thursday 15 October 2008
• Looks like a new bite at the exact same spot.
o Site swells back up.
o Entire dorsum swells into both eye orbits.
o Red.

Saturday 17 October 2008
• Visit PA at Medical Clinic.
o Could be body didn’t get rid of all poison first time, so, second reaction.

Monday 19 October 2008
• Visit another PA at Medical Clinic (well visit)
• Bite site looks a little better.
o Swelling in orbits gone.
o Now pink and fluid filled.

Monday 27 October 2008
• Red again.
• Swollen at site of bite.
• Black dot right in center.

Tuesday 28 October 2008
• Black dot still there.
• At lunch, Frank wipes the area, and the black dot is gone. Followed by:
o Yellow pus.
o Swelling down.
o Blood.
• Cleaned with peroxide.
• Covered with Neosporin and bandage for the afternoon.
o Bandage removed at bedtime… skin irritated from adhesive.
o Site looks flatted, but with little dark spots.
o Light red.

 
Wednesday 29 October 2008
• See "local" specialist (ENT and Facial Plastic Surgeon).
• Begin antibiotics.

Saturday 1 November 2008
• Swelling down.
• Scaling begins.
• Purple color (red and pink gone).

Tuesday 4 November 2008
• Red and swollen in morning.
• Swollen more in evening.
• Dad touches it and milky-white pus mixed with blood comes out.
o About 1/8” cavity present.
o We push around the area and much pus comes out.
o While cleaning (with peroxide) the area begins to swell again.
o Covered with a clean, dry bandage.

By the way, the risk here is to the sensitive new bone... an infection in it could mean several more surgeries... to remove infected bone, then wait for months, then put in new bone. It could be very bad. Very long. Very expensive. Very traumatic (for me!)

Today, before it started leaking, I'd already called the local ENT/Facial Plastic Surgeon (whom he saw last week) to schedule a CaT Scan. I never heard back. Tomorrow, it will be my mission to contact the doctor and schedule (if not have) the scan... we need to find out if this infection is in Frank's bone. :(

An Amazing Thing!

It's 40 degrees Fahrenheit out, and I'm walking around - COMFORTABLY - in just a VERY thin, long sleeve t-shirt and a medium-weight fleece vest. I also have on jeans and shoes and underclothes... but no coat. No mittens. No gloves. No scarf. NO HAT! I'm comfortable!

Who woulda thunk?!?!?

I'm happy to be aclimating to the cold a little faster with this move than I have in previous moves.

I'm also happy that it's warmer than last year, our highs have been 60-70 for several weeks now. October was about 30 degrees warmer (so it seems to me).

Call Out the Fashion Police!

If ever there is a time to call the Fashion Police...


...I believe it's when a three-year-old chooses to dress themselves.

When else in life can you get away with wearing camouflage, tie-dye, and (too small) stripes at the same time?