Up To and Including Days One through Six

I had initially thought to do more regular posts of my surgery and recovery, but I'm at the end of day six and here we are, my first report.  In the interest of not being gruesome, I opted to not post pictures ;)  I do find myself struggling in the creativity category, so please bear with my dry, more factual account.

Working where I do, it is not uncommon for me to catch a cold.  When I have, historically, my tonsils took particular care to let me know, swelling nice and large regardless of the duration of whatever symptoms I may have had.  The last few times I've gone to my clinic (noting that my history almost always included swollen tonsils) I've been asked if I'd considered seeing an ENT (ears nose throat specialist).  I was told that if your tonsils swell more than 3 to 5 times a year, it is frequently recommended to have them removed.  I blew this off the first couple of times I heard it, but the time came when I decided ignoring it probably wasn't a good idea anymore.

About a month ago, my tonsils once again got large.  I figured that my tonsils were giving me a warning signal that I was getting a cold. Sigh.  I called an ENT that day and set an appointment for August 24th, figuring that while my symptoms may be gone by the time I got there a week and a half later, I could at least get an idea of what might happen, given that this was my eighth or ninth time of them swelling this year.  Oddly enough, even though I never did really get the sniffles or a painful sore throat, my tonsils stayed nice and big.  Not only that, I began having difficulty sleeping at night, waking frequently unless I was absolutely exhausted.  That didn't take long, frankly.  By the time I got in to see the ENT, I was a little desperate for sleep.

At that point, he essentially told me I had two options-wait until I actually did get sick, at which point my tonsils would make it even harder to breathe and possibly create a medical emergency, or get them taken out now.  As nervous as it made me, I opted for the second.  Surgery was scheduled for September 6th.  He also mentioned the possibility of taking out half my uvula, which was also enlarged to the point of causing problems.

No surprise, this freaked me out a bit.  There were a few times I panicked, but ultimately I made it through with the support of family, friends, and a great blessing of comfort.  The day hadn't even dawned on the 6th when Amy and I pulled up to the hospital (thanks again, Amy! you're the best!) for the procedure, listed as a tonsillectomy and uvulectomy.  I thought he'd only take half of the uvula, but I later found only a little nub where it had been...so much for that theory.  Ah well.  Anyways, I'm told the procedure went well, and I was an ideal recovery patient, drinking plenty of water and pleasing my nurses.  I vaguely recall asking to have my oxygen removed, and being told to take a deep breath, but not much else.  After Amy got me home and helped get me set up on my couch, I slept for a couple of hours.  Upon waking, all I really thought of was taking my meds and wishing someone had let me know I'd put my shirt on backwards ;)

I started a Top Gear marathon that day, and slept surprisingly well that night.  The next day I kept ice on my throat, took my meds, continued the Top Gear marathon, did four blog posts, hosted guests (thanks Shaunelle, Shannon and Sherilyn!), and started in on a major Sudoku phase.  I felt surprisingly good, all things considered, but knew that the worse times in recovery were ahead.  Once again I slept fairly well, and wasn't surprised when my throat hurt a little more the next day.  On with the sudoku and Top Gear.

Days three and four were progressively a little worse, not just on the throat front but in general.  I figured this was just the anesthesia finally wearing off and didn't worry too much, but did fill the ice bag more frequently to keep my throat as numb as possible.

Day five, yesterday, was different.  I developed a fever.  I knew that it wasn't uncommon, and had run a degree or so higher than usual, but I had thought that was only supposed to be for the first couple of days.  I continued to feel more and more lousy, though.  I slept more, and was very sore all over, more than could be accounted for by a couple of days laying around.  Just before ten pm my fever was over 100 degrees.  After calling a 24/7 nurse hotline, and consulting my parents, the decision was made to go to the hospital.

We waited for 2 hours.  Remind me to pick a different emergency room next time.  Mom had taken me, then dad came and relieved her so that she could sleep for work the next day.  Thanks, mom and dad, you are both awesome :).  After 2 hours, though, I was done.  I decided that if I wasn't going to get seen soon I would just go home, and I let them know.  At that moment, the nurse had come up to call me back.  Well, better late than never, eh?  I figured at that point it was probably overkill, but since I was there and the paperwork was already filled out, well, may as well see it through.  Not to mention I was thoroughly miserable.  Entirely.  I didn't even want to walk, using a wheelchair because I was soo tired and shaky.

A bunch of questions and a chest x-ray later,  I was diagnosed with pneumonia.  Good thing I didn't just leave, eh?  At least I had an answer.  I was justifiably weak, sore and tired, and not just a hypochondriac.

Day six has been an odd basket.  I've done less today than on any other day of recovery thus far, except perhaps the first.  I've slept more today than any other day, and finally cheated on the hard sudoku puzzles when my mind wanted something to do but couldn't come up with even just one more number after five or ten minutes of staring at the same puzzle.  I gave in on watching Top Gear straight through and have just been picking some of my favorite episodes, including the Lorry episode and the Quaint my Ride episode (definitely youtube worthy segments!).  Thanks, Christian, for picking up my prescription when I was forbidden to leave the house.  There's probably a good reason for that, I guess that its just hard sometimes for me to justify staying at home when there's so much that can be done.

Well, its bedtime.  Stay tuned for more updates, I'll probably post on facebook again when I do my next blog post.  G'night!

Camping Trip: S'mores, Styling, and other Stuff

Here is the last selection of excerpts from our family reunion this summer.  Enjoy!!!



I thought she was just sticky!!

Have you ever noticed how bossy our family is?

Stop talking!  We don't have paper

You're glittery like a vampire in the sun.

Like Michael's neck

I'm holding my face

Do you see this?  This is me staring at something

Roast me a marshmallow make me a s'more but don't move

Christopher will you spray me?

Amy your face is awful.

The day that I was mad and got a scar forever.

Amy Smells

Like the Ocean

Rain is on that leash.  Be careful!

I'm gonna pause and eat a s'more now

We all have headlights.

More than halfway done, right?  No, 'cause you're super thick

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 yay!

I actually still have my other cracker!  Oh, I don't.  I ate it.

I don't think anyones gonna notice one standing out looking dumber than the rest

The more I do the lighter it gets!

Oh no, I need to start a mystery!

Here, this is for a grandkid to play with

Run away, run away!

I want to leave this in at least until dad comes so he can shake his head and roll his eyes

No, that is my chair.  She hauled it all the way over here.  And now I'm sitting on the table.

Weren't Christian and Ben wearing matching shirts yesterday?

Do we care if they're running away?

Thank you for not dropping that in the fire.

I have a camo one.  I thought you said camel.

Don't tell dad that.
He would laugh too.

No, it was you, take credit, take credit!

Jane said I'm not good enough to do braids, only grandma.  I am proving her wrong!

You pet moose very nicely, thank you!

Who else gets angry when they're tired? (gasp!) Amy!

She's writing everything down!  Mom, you have a big head!

We're really funny

Deborah laughed, she's gonna write it down.

Deborah's laughing at me.  And writing things down.

Get Amy, go tickle her!
Sarah just told Megan to come tickle me.  I don't know how I feel about that.

Pointy little toes!

He stares.  He's like, the master of stares.

Can I put my glasses on?

She's gonna tell you a secret

Every time I tickle the girls, Dalton comes to save the day.  He's a knight, he's very good at it.

Do you have a white car in spot 39?

It wasn't funny.  But it will be when we read it back.

Ok, don't write it down, Michael said not to.

Write what down

What down

If you say my name, I will hold you.  All day.

It's hot!  Quick, grab a baby!

The stick is hot you should poke someone with it.

There just keeps being more hair!

I put 14 braids in everyones hair.  Then there would be no fire.

Deborah, write that down.

I don't care if my kids eat dirt, only if its on them.

Don't write that down, its poor parenting.

You can mark that as anonymous.

It feels really breezy!

Do you want to hold a baby?  He sings.

What was that?  Nothin.  What was it?

Mom's got braided horns now!

Um Christopher?  It sounds like maybe we could use you on crowd control

Will you let go of my pants now?

And I know Amy's dying to have one now.

Chase has learned the art of the fade-away

At least its an organized frenzy

The notebook won't cry.

What?  Will you burn the baby?!

Mom, your hair is horribly gray now

My hair braided that picture
(as a side note, I didn't know hair could braid pictures)

Ok, we're in the home stretch

Just do one more big one

Michael is behind these branches.  How do we get past these branches?

We got him laughing

It was mostly Jane and Sarah.  Occasionally we'd get a good Deborah

We can be quiet without being in bed

Michael is in dark clothes, so he's starting to blend in

I'll be glad when you're not pulling my hair anymore.

I feel like I should feel bad, but I don't.

Can't chase me by the fire.

She's just going like this on his chin!

Only three more, mom!  Yay!

I would have giggled really hard every time mom walked away

It looks like covert ops braiding!

Will you get that on youtube?  His little chin thing? It would go viral!

You fell down?  That's a whole lot better than falling up.

One last braid then I'll stop pulling your hair

I'll trade you babies if you want to trade

Its really really dark mommy.  Really really dark.

I owe you a dime, no I don't.

Stop tickling my head.

This one is sticking straight out!  Well, go sleep on it.

We're kind of laughing at the collective.

You're kindof lopsided now

I made you a s'more.  Love me.

They melted to each other?  Were they bad marshmallows?

I'm gonna find my husband, anyone want a baby?

I put it on Laura's head.

That's not funny, that's just normal.

K, I see a star, I can go to bed now, right?

I'm the father, I know.

You're drippy.  Being drippy's not funny.

Go hang it on dad's walker outside.

Does any of this go in the fridge?  Does your face go in the fridge?  No, but my hair might.

Write that down

That down

Aspens all reproduce asexually so they all have the same DNA.

Camping Trip: Game Time!

You spilled Diet Coke on your foot.

I thought it was doctors in the morgue.

It didn't ust fall out like yours.  I had to spit it all in the sink.

I'll deal 'cause it lets me lean into Chase.

Here, my beautiful partner.  Here, Chase's beautiful partner.  Here, mom's absent partner.

Oh, my gosh.

I can only think of things that were funny for me, not for her.  What about assault and battery?

I am only really good at poker.  I can be serious when I have to be.

Amy, remember the time a correlle plate shattered in Marysville?

Save the notes on the quotes please

What did I say that I wanted to write down?

I just got this hot, who's holding a baby?

Just get me the cutest one.

My hotdog is black.  That's racist.

Don't poke my hotdogs.

I don't want sweet relish.  That would make me barf.

And a half.

Can't bust 'em.  'Cause your button says something.

Are you writing it down?

I'm always willing to start another fire.

She likes everything.

Ben lost his watermelon, do you want me to just pick it up and give it back?  I let him drink out of the lake.

Christopher and Chase are not the same person.

Weird.  I know, right?

No previews.  Too late.

I was really glad I wasn't driving.

Made it that much funny.

Write that down.

Can you braid it right now?  Get the tackle box.

I really do just have stupid hair on that side

Do you need more sustenance?  'Cause you're way too skinny

'Cept they weren't drinking it, so I had to dump it out on a kid.

You could have a whole bunch of braids sticking out.

I didn't get to brush mine.  I don't care.

He just sat on me

It is fine, but there's a lot of it.

Yeah, she's thick.

When you camp in heaven you don't get dirty.

The Wamplers are gonna die.

That sounds harsh.

Use your finger, I won't tell.

Payson Lakes Camping Trip- Write That Down Notebook

Laura has already posted a few, but here are some more.  This particular write that down edition comes from a notebook mom brought along specifically for this.  The notebook spans several days and includes the trip down to Payson through the morning before we left.  Participants vary a great deal, good luck guessing who said what!


Your shoes are untied-Safety First!

That down

I'm bored.  I should have just gone with dad.

I have a programming book, a math book, and a science fiction book.

Uncle Darren, on the freeway, I will watch and make sure we don't bonk into anything.  So, are you okay with that?

There's a car in the road, honk!

I'm writing an encryption key!

With your spoon, you can accomplish anything

It's hard to climb up a step with a bucket on your head.

You smell like bug spray.

MHS.  What do you think of?
Midvale High School
I got Mountain Hernia Service.

We can't be funny, its too dark.

Don't laugh at my hair.
Can I laugh near your hair?

But I made a really good shadow!

I have tinkerbell!

Michael's pants would fit my foot.

I put your hair stuff back in the tackle box.

You know our family's weird when that doesn't sound strange.
You know our family's weird when you see us.

She has mom fingers.  Does she have a mom tongue, too?

I kind of want to roast a granola bar.  Wrap it in bacon.

Michael's encryption:
Each character has a value.
You need to convert this value to Binary.
Then, you XOR the value with 63(111111
XORing is setting a value to 1 if the two initial ones are different, or to 0 if they're the same.  So, encrypting a capital B would go like this:
011100(28)  (one digit here might be wrong, it was hard to make out...)
111111
100011=35 ((I)
You do this for each character.
"Text Message" would become:
"q7RQ00X7RRY57"
You just XOR it again to get the original message
There is then a bunch of listed values, available upon request

That's why we're on the buddy system-so someone can get away from the bear.

That was odd you had an opinion.

I don't have any designated pajama pants.

Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, light me!

What's so wrong with peanut butter bacon?

That sounded less funny in my head.

Come over here and blow it in Amy's direction

Poke it Chase, poke it!

That was my booger, it was right after the flare.

If I could add one thing to their list of needs it would be chapstick.

I think.  In general.

'Cause there's a dead man in Payson Lake

She's ok with her kids drinking lake water.

There's ducks in that water.  Fish die in that water.  There's bandaids in that water.

I really need to go to bed, but I want more bacon.

I was gonna say saved my butt, but I didn't get burned there.

I am a children.  Did you bring anything? No, 'cause you're a children.

You're burnt.  You don't get bacon if you're burnt.

I can't see it, turn my necklace on.

We should go camping all the time, everyone hugs me!

Chase, let's steal some and fry it for breakfast!

You could be a man in black. But only that one finger.

But you all have to live with me, 'cause I can't go through that many deaths.

Ah Ben, I forgot about Ben!  I'll have to live forever then.

Moose is not dead, she has changed position.

Our car smells like dog food and bacon.  That's the perfect scent for a car.

I could cut it off and it wouldn't hurt anymore.

We talked about kidnapping children today.

It wasn't really kidnapping, we traded.

Lets eat bacon and go to sleep.

It's okay.  I just spilled water, not the bacon.

My hand hurts, I'm going to bed.

If Rain pees, does that mean its raining?

I will be terribly upset if you all get eaten by bears.  If only half of you got eaten I'd be ok.

She stuck her tongue out at me.  I couldn't think of a witty remark, it just seemed to fit.

WEDNESDAY
You catch a fish when fish feel like biting things.  And you get lucky.

That's enough for my whole head. Without hair. We can arrange that.

Here Amy, write stuff down.

Stuff down.

Write jokes.  Write that!

Deborah, did I make bubbles?

I don't remember.  But it was funny.

That wasn't a knee-jerk reaction, it was a finger reaction.

Its weird seeing you without glasses.  It's weird seeing you without my glasses.

Though purple pomegranate and flesh eating Rambo hike greasy slides while chasing butterflies never insist always persist

Why didn't radioactive canteloupe dice casino slots, buffalo horns, and Jane?

Rick diced potatoes that were red and able to sing catmanduzal?

Once light canteloupe bit Jane on purpose because cat eat fish.

Let's play a princess game.  We need a princess, two guards, and a prince.  I will be the princess.  Dalton, you're the prince.  Nicole and Megan, you are the guards.  The prince is a boy, so that's why you are the prince, Dalton.

Write That Down-BYU Women's Conference

Wow, but its been a while.  We didn't write much down, but here's what we had :)

I'm fine-tuning my obnoxious skills.

I know, it's Mickey Mouse. No, Its Bambi.

Do you want me to sprinkle your watermelon with oreos?

I breathed an oreo

Now be quiet so I can finish my ice cream.

If they'll let you buy it for a couple thousand dollars.  No, just put it in your purse.

Talk, so I can write!

Write that down.

That down.

But he didn't really cry so I didn't get up.

She just flicked me in the head!  Come here, so I can flick you in the head.

I've already picked my teeth.  I've had mine since childhood.

You guys, I am so funny.

That's not funny, you don't have to write it down.

I'm fine tuning my process of what is funny and what isn't.

Write that down.

And it's BYU.

Colorado!

She's got a point there.  But she said its not extra points!

We could go to Chevron. 

Write that down.  Why? 'Cause it wasn't funny but when they read it someone will think it was.

Shall we see how many women we can hit with the car?

Subaru, Chevy, Colorado

The tag on my underwear is poking me.

Her gray hairs stand out more when you do it this way.

You didn't poop in the shower, did you?

I spit on your pen, sorry.

I want to wear a sleeveless top but have another top with it

Its your first time, really for reals.

It's not horrible, you can tell!

You just need to document you're....I got my fingers in the right place!  Write that down.

Look, I did a french braid!

Well, I tried not to get your cleavage in, but I can if you want.

I didn't bring a flower with me.

What?  In recent years.  I thought you said I have big ears.

Wow that's really messed up.  Love ya Deborah!

Hold that.  Yes Ma'am.  It can just there.

Don't write that down.

Aren't you glad I'm chesty so it just stops there?

Thanks for letting me say everything through a pen.

Apparently I'm not as chesty as I thought.

That was like a kiss, but it was a pen.

See, I'm so funny-every time I say that, people laugh.

I wanna put my pajamas on so I can be cool like you!  Write that down.

Jeff Dad's gonna call me.

My ear itches.  Want me to kiss it better?  No, that's gross.

You so mess things uip for me.  I love you too.

It says fun.  Of words.  We can make fun of words!

No.  I am the ultimate authority.  Write that down.

This time I'm not going to drop my chocolate milk down the stairs.

It's like a cow bell.  That doesn't mean you're a cow though.  You're not ever like a cow.

You're way winning.  You cheat.

I'm cutching up to you.

Dung Jerky.  That's gross.

It's only funny 'cause its late.

I'm not a cheater!  Choose the right like Jane!

It's ok, I wrote that down.

Yeah, but she would have won.  You couldn't cheat on that one.

No, that's dumb.

What's the fun of winning if you can't cream everyone in the process?

But I can't go from mangy to mingy.

I have to be really obnoxious so that Laura can learn.

I don't think we're morning people.  We're not funny.

Hi BY!



Write-that down participants:  Karrie Phillips, Deborah Phillips, Laura Wampler :)