May 6...

If you are my friend on Facebook you probably have a little bit of an idea why May 6^th has been one of the worst days of my life to date. It was one of the most emotional draining days I have ever had and all I can say is good riddance it is in the past.

Friday was a little bit of a busy day for House of Jaramillo. Todd was scheduled to have his second go at shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum and a rotator cuff.  He decided since we both would be home for a three-day weekend, it would be the perfect day to schedule Scioscia’s teeth cleaning at the bet.

The day started out normal; I dropped Todd off and then ran home, picked up Scioscia and took her to the vet. After spending a little time with Todd in pre-op I gave him a kiss and settled down in the waiting room.  About 45 minutes after leaving Todd, the vet called me and said Scioscia had lost about a pound and she was a little worried about the weight loss. She said she wanted to check Scioscia for Feline Leukemia. At first I hesitated, I hadn’t noticed anything strange about Scioscia’s behavior and thought the vet was just trying to get some extra money. I even had her ask another tech that had seen Scioscia before if she thought she looked too skinny. Scioscia regularly fluctuates between 4 and 5 pounds when we take her to the vet.  Even though the tech didn’t notice too much of a difference, the vet was still convinced something wasn’t right. I agreed to let her do the test.

About 15 minutes later I got the worst call of my life. “Heidi, this is Scioscia’s vet, she is testing positive for Feline Leukemia.”

My heart started to race. How could this be possible? Just an hour earlier she was rubbing up on my legs begging me to give her the breakfast she so very much loved. Now she was the vet with leukemia? I felt so alone sitting in the OR waiting room. I tried to hold back tears as the vet explained in non-emotional medical terms what this meant for Scioscia…

“weak immune system….tumors”

She said it was important that they still clean Scioscia’s teeth to help clear out any bacteria. I hung up and sat numb for a moment trying to process what she had just said. I so desperately wanted Todd to be right by my side knowing what questions to ask and telling me it would be ok. Even though he was only yards away, I felt like we weren’t even on the same planet.

I called my mom and could hardly get the words “leukemia” out before the tears started to choke out. I called my sisters, both immediately said they were leaving work to come sit with me. I declined telling them by the time they got to the hospital Todd would be out of surgery.

I tried to get comfortable in the couch I had been sitting in. I suddenly felt panicked. Sitting in that waiting room, nothing seemed safe anymore. The certainty I felt that everything was going to go smoothly turned into paranoia.

“What if things are not ok with Todd in surgery? What if the leukemia makes it so Scioscia can’t handle the anesthesia? How am I going to tell Todd about Scioscia?”

I felt cold and it seemed my whole body was shaking. The seconds seemed to stretch for hours as I battled the big pit of sadness that opened in my stomach.  I tried desperately to hold back tears. Sitting in a hospital waiting room isn’t the place you want to be crying.

My fear only increased when the receptionist received call saying they needed Mrs. Jaramillo in a consultation room. I had just seen the doctor come out and talk to someone and couldn’t figure out why I needed to be in a consultation room. Sitting in the empty room I prayed for strength to just make it through the next few hours.  I am sure the relief was apparent through my red-teary eyes when the doctor told me Todd’s surgery went great and they were just stitching him up.  

“It shouldn’t be long until he is awake and you can see him.”

I waited. A half-hour passed. I waited. An hour passed, patients came with their families, the anesthesiologist grabbed lunch. Nobody came to tell me about Todd.

I thought about Scioscia and cried. I thought about telling Todd about Scioscia and cried. I thought about why Todd wasn’t out of surgery and cried. I felt completely wound up.

Finally a nurse came to tell me that the anesthesia was making Todd very sick and he still was not fully awake. I waited another half hour before I could actually go back to see him.

I held my breath as I turned the corner into Todd’s recovery room. The poor thing was completely green and his eyes were barely able to stay open. I sat with him for about 15 minutes feeding him ice chips; the truth about Scioscia was hanging over me.

“Todd, when you are more coherent I really need to tell you something”

He didn’t really process what I said. A half hour later when he started to get some color back into him and between the nurse coming and going out of his room I let it out.

“It’s about Scioscia. The vet called me and she has leukemia.”

I packed up Todd in silence. The combination of anesthesia and nausea didn’t lend for a great discussion about what our game plan was.  We loaded Todd into the Jeep; I sobbed the whole way home.

Immediately at home I started to jump into research mode. I scoured the internet for any and all information I could get about Feline Leukemia. I cried when I read about the tumors. I cried when I read how it can be spread to other cats.

I called the vet at 4:30 to tell them I was coming to pick up Scioscia. I couldn’t wait for their call. I felt like I needed her with me right then.

So here is where we stand now. There is no cure for Feline Leukemia. Scioscia will not live as long as other cats. I have accepted those truths. However, I have hope in the fact that Leukemia is not a death sentence like it used to be. By Sunday night I already had my game plan in motion and a number of holistic herbs and supplements ready to ship on Monday.  My goal is keep her immune system as strong as possible. Cats don’t actually die from the Leukemia, but from other infections that their immune systems can’t fight off. If I can keep her healthy and stress free, there is a good chance that we have a few years left with little Scioscia. The vet was actually surprised Scioscia had lived this long without proper treatment. She is my little fighter.

When I was taking my shower of Friday, God spoke to me loud and clear. (Yes, God usually talks to me when I am in the shower/tub. I think it must be the time he knows I won’t be distracted and able to pick up the message)

 “The reason I gave Scioscia to you was because she deserved the most love possible during her short time on this earth”

It was the first time I felt peace and calm the entire day. I know that loving Scioscia unconditionally is very much something Todd and I can do for her.

I will update you on how the treatment is going,

-Mrs. J

It is that time

We had an incredible New Years Eve this year. Over the last couple of years, New Years has kind of become my holiday but this year I passed it on to my sister Laura. After hosting Christmas I was just exhausted and needed a little bit of break. Isn't it funny how you clean and prepare so much for company and after they leave you are left cleaning and preparing everything again?

Laura and Katie threw the best New Years Eve dinner party. Some of our good friends Brei and Garret even came all the way from New Mexico to celebrate with us. It was a fancy dinner party so we all dressed up and then enjoyed a dinner themed with luck and prosperity for the upcoming year.

We even were able to set off fireworks, which is surreal in Arizona. The girl's had a Debbie Downer neighbor who we are pretty sure just waited around until midnight to complain at anyone who dare celebrate. I guess she is one of those neighbors who just likes to rain on everybody's parade.

So now we come to that infamous part of the New Year in which we make goals for ourselves for things we want to get better at doing. I think Todd and I have some good ones this year and hopefully if we both push each other, we will be able to accomplish them. Without further adieu, the House of Jaramillo New Years Resolutions.

Todd
-Wants to get back into the habit of working out. We did pretty well there for a while and then remember this? Yeah, that kind of put the kibosh on any working out for a long time. I wanted to keep my bandage as clean as possible and I didn't think sweating in the gym for an hour would be good for it. Needless to say Todd lost his work out partner. Then when my arm was back to normal I hurt my food (I swear not an excuse, it was I get for loving high heels) and wanted to let it heal before putting too much stress on it. Now we are in good shape and ready to rock. It is a little hard having motivation right now because when Todd gets home it is already dark outside, I am hoping with longer days comes more action.

-Wants Heidi to learn how to golf. Before we got married Todd made me the promise of if he bought me golf clubs I would go with him to the driving range any time he wanted to go. I don't really know why I agreed, I guess I like new stuff. No, but for reals, I would love to learn how to golf. I went with him once to driving range and thought I would be the next Tiger Woods (minus the 30 mistresses, I need to find a new golf legend to compare myself to) and needles to say, I was not. So this year Todd wants to teach me how to golf. Being the incredible wifey I am, I think I will try and help him out by being a good student with a great attitude.

Heidi
-I mostly just have one major resolution that I think will help me reach all of my other goals. I want to try and be more proactive with my time. I have a habit of just shutting off during the work week and not really accomplishing things that need to get done until the weekend. The problem is then, I have a huge to-do list on the weekend and then we don't always find enough time to go play and relax. I think if I just make myself do a little housework every night during the week, I will be surprised at how much I get done. This resolution also comes with the fine writing that I will not watch as much TV. Television just sucks your motivation right out of your soul. The only show I have to sit down and watch really is Glee, everything else I am fine catching On Demand when I have some free time.

I really wish the days would start getting longer again. It is so hard to want to do anything when it is dark at 7 PM and there are still a few good hours of time in my day. Maybe we should start our resolutions in Spring and not the first few weeks on winter...Happy New Years!!!

What are you resolutions for this year?

Mrs.J

Perfect for that cold night…

Arizona has been way too cold for my liking this winter. I know I really can't complain when the rest of the country is in blizzard warning and I am bundling up for 58 degrees, but when your body lives through 110 degrees during the summer it can't handle anything below 65.

I wanted to make something yummy and warm for dinner last night and also had a bunch of leftover turkey from the holiday. I decided on chicken tortilla soup, and let me tell you, this soup is so beyond delicious. It also is pretty healthy for you since the base is just chicken stock and canned tomatoes. You top it with fresh cilantro, avocado, cheese and the best part, freshly fried corn tortilla bits.



Seriously? Like yum. This is probably the worst part of soup for you, but since you add just a few, it isn't too bad. The really problem arises when you try to keep yourself from munching on the cooling ones while you keep frying them up.

Do you like the fresh tortilla chips they serve at Mexican restaurants? You know, the fresh ones served still hot from being fried and nicely salted? These little strips taste just like that. So amazingly delicious.

 I would give you my recipe, but I mostly just cook my soups my taste. I really can't tell you how much of everything I put in there. I started by sauteing some garlic and onion, then added a box of chicken stock and a can of petite diced tomatoes. I let that simmer for a good hour and added seasonings to get a yummy flavor. When I had a nice soup base I added corn, black beans and the turkey. You really could put any veggies in there. Here are a few recipes around the blog block that are pretty close to what I made if you want to try it out.



Whitney in Chicago



Good Life Eats

I let everything cook on low for about 45 minuets while Todd and I rode our bikes to Quick Trip to buy a lottery ticket. The whole way home we talked about what we do if we won the money. Since we both were a little chilly after being out in the cool night, the soup was the perfect way to warm up.

You could probably cook this in the crock pot, but there is something about how fresh this soup tastes and I think it is best served on a night when you have some time to let everything cook right then and there.

Ahhh, so good!

Mrs.J



We Are Moving...

blogs...that is. Gotcha!

Remember how I have been saying all along that Wordpress is where it is at because of the stats and all the goodies? Well I have been having major blogger's envy over how cute some blogs on the "New Blogger!" are. I had to jump ship and make my own cute little blog. So I packed up the old blog posts and copy/pasted those suckers right on over to Blogger.

So now that I have your attention I guess I should give you a little more material than the obvious fact that you are no longer on Wordpress reading this! I have a lot of things stewing in my mind I want to blog about. I seriously need to get my b-u-t-t in motion and write stuff down. I am also trying my hand at photo editing though, so I am working on editing the photos from this past week to put on the blog. I guess there are a couple things I have been writing about the blog that could use an update.

1) Our cat's butt

Tuesday will be our LAST day of the Giardia treatment for Scioscia and I am saying my prayers double time that God will bless our cat with a leak-free rear end. So far, everything is nice and dry. We are so ready to be done having to give her medicine. This poor kitty has pretty much been poked, prodded, pill-popped, snot sucked and liquid shot since we got her. Her first problem was this constant sneezing that came along with a stuffy nose. Two vet visits and one anitibiotic treatment later, we find out it is just seasonal allergies. Which apparently means the only season she won't be sneezy is Summer because as soon as fall came so did her allergies. Once the allergies cleared up, we noticed the leaky bum and as you know that has been a thorn in my side for a while now. Let me tell you this, if you want to know how your spouse is going to be as a parent, get a pet. When it comes to kitty health care I take a "grab em' and get it done" approach while Todd takes the "maybe if I talk to them nicely and follow them around for 10 minuets they will just open their mouths and let me put the medicine in." Scioscia has a little bit of a complex when it comes to medicines, so Todd's approach does not go very well. I love the man with the power of a million burning suns, but this is just one thing he can't do very well.

2) No Spend September

We are almost done with September and really it wasn't that bad. It went over so well that we might just have a No Spend October and November and December. (I will just take this time to say I hate property taxes and car registration.) I probably noticed the not-spending the most when it came to our eating out, which is probably ok because that brings me to...

3) Our Workout

Yeah, so about that. Summer is hot in Phoenix, you know? It is hard to want to workout when it is 115 outside. Todd made a deal with me, if I can workout 3 times a week at our community complex for 3 months, I can get a gym membership with my sister Katie! I am very excited about this because I don't really like working out at the complex. There are only 2 treadmills and about 15 people waiting to use them at 5 pm. Katie also is fun to hang out with, so that is another driving factor. I read in an interview that Christina Aguilera once said her weight gain when she got engaged/married was "love chub." Girl, I get it! I really want to just get healthy again. I know that in probably under 2 years Todd and I are going to start family and I figure if I can get my body into great shape now, it will be easier to get pregnant, go through labor and then get back in shape afterwards. This week is my starting off point. I have to make it 3 times a week for October, November and December then a gym membership is mine! Just in time for all those New Year's Resolutions, I might just get a killer deal on it and you know how I love me some deals!

Well I guess that is all I needed to update right now. I am going to start making myself blog a lot more. I started House of Jaramillo as sort of documentation of what our first years were like. I want to look back at this when I am 70 and laugh at what our life used to be like.

Thanks for helping us move,
-Mrs.J

For better or worse, in sickness and health….

I am really calling in the vows on that last part. If you are our Facebook friend, you recently have been lucky enough to be delighted to the imagery that is the olive oil burn…
About a week ago I was preparing what would have been a delightful dinner of fried rice. The carrots and celery were chopped, rice pre-cooked and the chicken marinated. All I needed to do was throw it all together in a pan. I started heating up some olive oil so I could cook the chicken before adding in the rest of ingredients. No big deal, this must have been the millionth time of cooking chicken this way. Somewhere between time 999,000 and 1,000,000 I must have lost it though because I ended up spilling hot oil all over my hand. The whole hand. From wrist to knuckle. Needless to say there was screaming, crying and I think I mildly went into shock. Wouldn’t you? Look at this?

To make a long story short, and to save from any more unsightly photos, let me just say for the last week I have been unable to do anything with my left hand. This is making me very unhappy. See, this whole time I have felt my contribution to our marriage right now is the cooking, cleaning and all that fun home stuff. Since I am working at finding a big-girl job, I haven’t been bringing anything to the table financially. Taking care of the house is my way of helping ease the stress on Todd. It has been really tough for the last week not being able to do as much as I want to and depending on Todd pick up the slack. He has been handling it like a champ though. On Tuesday he even had to wash my hair for me and he did it with love and compassion.

It is funny how when you get married and you say your vows you think they are really only for the huge things in life; finances, children, cancer. You forget about all the small every day things that you are committing to when you stand there and promise these things together.  It’s a promise to love each other even when your wife’s hand looks like something out of a horror movie and she can’t open a bottle or squeeze the jelly onto her toast. It’s the fact that you will turn off whatever TV show you were watching to come upstairs and help her wash her hair, even condition it to make sure all the tangles are out… and feel happy about doing it.

It is in these small times when we are able to really pull together as a team or when I am able to lean on Todd because I am a little weak that I know we will be able to make it through whatever life can throw at us. That is a pretty incredible feeling.
Hope I can heal soon,
-Heidi