Catching up

I've been MIA lately and although I'd like to give some great reason like, "My fiance swept me off to a surprise vacation in Bora Bora" it's more like we've been busy with life.



I made some of the 'best cupcakes in the world' as a late birthday celebration for the boy since he can't get enough of them. Every time I bake a batch I think he's going to take them all to work and get them out of the house, but he rationalizes that he needs to keep at least a dozen for himself. Thank goodness the gall bladder problem is over.



A few days after that the boy left this amazingly beautiful bouquet of Oriental lilies for me, and I knew when I looked at them that I want to do my wedding bouquet in lilies instead of tulips. I'm not a big fan of roses and knew that I didn't want a traditional bridal bouquet so this will be absolutely perfect.

Speaking of wedding stuff, the boy ordered my ring! We've been talking about it for ages and trying to decide what I want. I will admit that I'm a little particular so I might not have made it incredibly easy for him, but he had some meetings with the jewelers about designing what he wants and it's in the works. I don't know exactly what it looks like (and the suspense is killing me) but I know it will be beautiful!

The only other thing we've been spending time on lately is paying more attention to our budget. We finally sat down and looked at what we've spent money on this year and it made us sick. So, we decided the easiest way to save a little would be to cut waaaay back on our food budget. There are families of 20 spending less on food than we do in a month!

We started actually watching sales and doing things like using coupons and now it's pretty much a game to us. Did you know you never ever have to spend money on things like shampoo, toothpaste, razors, or body wash? Sounds crazy but it's true.

Here's what CVS paid me $3 to take yesterday.



Seriously, they paid me for razors! We usually buy razor cartridges at Costco for $50 and they last a couple months. We already have 8 razors that we got for free in the last week!

There were also coupons in this week's paper for a $25 gift card to CVS when you transfer a prescription there from another pharmacy. Well, Walgreens is closest to our house so I've always had my drugs filled there. But, for $25 I can drive the extra 1/10th of a mile to pay the same co-pay there. And because I'm so lucky and have a million prescriptions, it will be a very long time before I ever have to pay CVS cash for anything again!!

The scalpel and the stone

I know you'll all be disappointed, but there are no pictures of the infamous gall stone. The hospital had to send it off to pathology so we didn't get to take it home in my purse and therefore, we didn't win the gall stone size prize (whatever that may be).

The boy did survive, and after a very very long 45 minutes the surgeon said that everything went fine and he was already done. I had to wait another twenty to go back and see him because apparently he was flirting* and trying to talk his post-op nurse into getting him a beer. As far as I'm aware he didn't get a Bud Light or a phone number so I think he's forgiven, but it's still funny to watch people all hopped up on Demerol.

He's still very sore, but there's good news: The Air Force is much more lenient than the civilian world and he has another two weeks to recover. I foresee many long days of Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros 2 in his future (we just got an original Nintendo).

So, we spent the past four days lounging around, watching movies and planning shopping trips. I've become very adept at this CVSing thing and the boy has even joined in. Between the two of us we've got more Robitussin and Arnicare than we could use in a million years. But here is another very cool aspect of smart shopping: we found a great battered women's shelter in the area that's in need of many of the personal care items that we've been getting for free. So, we're starting a box and every time we get something for free or very cheap that we don't need we're tossing it in there. When we get a full box, we'll head down to the shelter.

I've been checking out a lot of blogs lately by women that do a lot of CVSing and couponing to get a ton of items free. One woman just had a yard sale to sell all of her shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste/razor stockpiles and made well over $1,000. I'm not trying to sound like a bitch here, but that made me sick. She got this stuff for FREE. No exaggeration - FREE. Yet, instead of helping many many people who don't have the luxury of toothbrushes or diapers when they flee abusive relationships in the middle of the night, she profited $1,000 from her free goods.

Another thing that I love so much about Corey is that he has such a giving heart. It would never occur to him to do something like sell the free toothpaste we got for profit. We're always thinking of who might need it, and who would think of a new tube of lipstick as a wonderful luxury. It means so much to me that the person I'm with is always inspiring me to be a better person and think of what else I can do to help people that aren't as fortunate.

I love him so much I might even take him my phone number and a Bud Light tonight.

*EDIT: The boy didn't like it so much that I said he was flirting. I will say that the nurses told me the first words out of his mouth when he woke up were to see me, and when I walked around the corner he got a goofy (high) smile on his face and yelled, "There's the love of my life." So, I guess he wasn't really in the doghouse for flirting.

Co-lee-sist-ect-omy

Well, the time has finally come for the boy to get hacked on for once. I'm stomping him in the race to have more medical procedures done, so tomorrow we'll go in and have his silly broken little gall bladder removed.

Truth be told, I'm petrified. The surgeon is wonderful, and I'm sure he's quite capable given his track record. But sitting there in the waiting room is going to be the longest hour of my life! I'm not sure what kind of ipod list you make for these kind of situations, but I'm thinking I need to upload some songs from happy Disney movies.

His doctor sent us home from the pre-op with a very cool website that answers almost any question you may have and walks you thru a procedure. I thought we were actually going to see a video of the surgery, so when we got done with it and hadn't seen blood and gore I figured it was a good idea to google it. Of course youtube obliged and I proceeded to watch an hour or so of gall bladder removals. Emotions ranged from nausea to unbridled fear to thoughts of making a run for Mexico and not going to the hospital. But, unfortunately, I know it's for the best since he hasn't been able to eat or sleep in weeks.

Since my dad and Corey are in a contest over who could grow the bigger gall stone I'm going to have to carry the thing out of the hospital in my purse! I'm not sure what the winner receives, but I know that I better get a new purse out of the deal.

If you could keep the boy in your thoughts we'd appreciate it! I'll make sure to post pictures of the stone when we get out.

Coupons and CVSing

I think this is a fairly common thing when it comes to blogs, but sometimes I'll click from someone's blog to someone else's and so-on and so-forth until I'm at a complete stranger's blog and have no idea how I got there.

This happened to me last week and I came upon a woman's blog who does something called 'CVSing'. We have a CVS near our house (a few actually) but I've always gotten my prescriptions from Walgreens so I had no reason to set foot in it. Well, it appears I've been missing out on a lot.

I should preface this all by saying that although Corey and I both make what we think are pretty good salaries, we always wonder where our money goes. $100 trips to Target, and $300 trips to the mall, and groceries always add up, and we don't end up saving as much as we'd like to.

I should also say that some people refer to me as a bit of a snob, and although I act offended when I hear it, deep down I know it's probably true. I would never think to use coupons or search for a deal because I never wanted the cashier or other people in the store to judge me. "Oh, look at that poor girl who can't afford her groceries," I hear them saying in my head. Sad, I know. But true.

But, this woman had piles and piles of purchases on her table and beneath it all she said that her total out-of-pocket cost was $0.85!!!! 85 cents for a table full of stuff! I was intrigued.

So, I did a little research and found that there are tons and tons of people who, with a little planning and research, save mounds of money at CVS. Yes, you have to use coupons, and yes you have to search for deals. But, it looked like it was worth it to me. So, I gave it a try.

Here's how I did:

5 tubes of Colgate Total toothpaste - $3.49 each
5 tubes of Arnicare pain relief gel(basically homeopathic Icy-Hot) - $9.49 each
4 Covergirl outlast lipsticks - $9.99 each
1 Covergirl lipgloss - $5.99
4 bottles of Dawn dishwashing detergent - $2.79 each
2 3-packs of paper towels - $1.99 each
2 nail glues - $1.99 each
2 bottles of water - $1.39 each
1 Accu-check blood sugar monitor - $75 BUCKS!!!
King size Reeses peanut butter cups (I had to buy it because my coupons went over, and the boy loves them anyway) - $1.00
1 Fiber One bar - $0.69
1 bottle of Dr. Pepper - $1.39

Total of $210.83

I got it all for $18.71. BUT, I also got $23 back in ExtraCare Bucks (basically CVS gift certificates for future visits). So essentially, they paid me $4 to buy all that stuff!!

I did have to use coupons, and it was very hard for me - but I survived and ended up saving a ton of money in the process. The best part of it is that Corey's mom's best friend has diabetes (no one we know here does) and she can't really afford the $75 monitor for herself. So, we're sending it to her. I'm so happy to be able to give it to someone who needs it - and we got it for free!!!

So, we're going to keep trying the CVSing and see what kind of deals we can get. We're also going to - gasp - cut out coupons for our groceries. Yes, the snob in me hates typing that. But, when we have more money in our savings account for vacations and other big purchases, I think it will be worth it.

The Tortoise and the Hare

On paper, the boy and I don't work at all. Whenever we see those annoying eharmony commercials I laugh because I know a computer never would have matched us in a million years. He's a simple country boy, and I'm a high maintenance city girl. He likes the stability and organization of the Air Force, and I like the fast paced business world. And while he's content to take it easy and let things happen, I'm always rushing to see what's around the next corner and get there faster.

The past few months have been hard on me. Health-wise I find myself jealous of people who get up every day and aren't in pain. Some days it takes everything I have just to haul myself out of bed. I've become so focused on how bad I feel that I've forgotten to be thankful for what I do have. My last surgeon told me that everything is fine with my 'girl parts', so hopefully having children won't be a problem. When I was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago I thought children would be out of the question. I also have doctors who are searching for what's wrong with me and ultimately trying to help me. And I have insurance that covers almost all of it. These are luxuries that not everyone has.

But still, I want to rush. I can't wait to get married, to have kids, and to feel settled already. Somehow, I think that there will be this magical finish line and once I cross it I can be content. I see my friends with their families and I get so impatient; so restless. People I graduated high school with have five kids, and we haven't even started yet. How did we get so far behind?

So my daily struggle now is to look at Corey and take his strength and just SLOW DOWN. To appreciate the scenery, and be thankful for every blessing I've been given. To try and surrender to the fact that life isn't a race because the finish line is in a different place for everyone. And to realize that even though I'm on the gas and he's on the brakes, at least we'll get where we're going together.

Calgon, take me...

I saw this on someone else's blog, and since I'm feeling uninspired, I stole it. Yep, I'm a thief. Deal.



I am: Christina
I think: We should move to Italy where they don't start working until noon.
I know: there is something wrong with me.
I want: a doctor to figure out what it is.
I have: a sweater and blanket on me. It's cold in my office.
I wish: Percocet didn't make me feel so crappy.
I hate: that I can't have morning coffee.
I miss: Feeling normal.
I fear: Never feeling normal again.
I feel: See above. I'm broken.
I hear: The coffee maker in our break room.
I smell: The coffee. oh sweet Columbian roast...
I crave: Sleep and/or caffeine!
I search: google every day for medical advice.
I wonder: why I didn't invent Google.
I regret: not investing in Google on opening day.
I love: the boy. He's cool.
I care: about sick little kids, and the AIDS epidemic, and abandoned puppies.
I always: wish I had a baby.
I am not: preggo.
I believe: that everything happens for a reason, no matter how sh#%@ty it seems.
I dance: when I have a good hair day.
I sing: to the boy when he's going to sleep. He laughs.
I dont always: say what I'm thinking.
I fight: with the boy sometimes when I'm grouchy.
I write: in my journal too infrequently.
I lose: At monopoly and it makes me furious!!
I win: At everything else.
I never: imagined I'd have a country accent.
I listen: to a very random mix of music.
I can usually be found: at my computer.
I am scared: of bugs.
I need: a competant doctor.
I am happy about: it not being Monday anymore.

OK, so you can probably tell I'm in a bit of a funk. The last few days my pain has been excruciating and I don't know what to do. The Percocet dulls the pain but leaves me loopy and sick, Darvocet doesn't do anything to the pain, and not taking anything leaves me miserable.

My most recent surgeon said that everything is normal gynecologically, so that's good news. However, it's also puzzling because something has to be causing the pain. I'm happy that the cancer didn't spread anywhere crazy though and show up again. That was also good news.

There is a possibility that my pain is completely related to my bladder disease, in which case I just have to live with it. So, I'm going back to my regular doctor next week to get referred to a pain management clinic, and to get referred to another urologist for a second opinion. She also wants to run a bunch of tests to make sure I don't have anything wrong with my intestines. Sounds like fun right?

Other than that, my last option is to explore nerve blocking where they inject pain medication straight into your spinal column to try and identify where the pain is originating. Sigh.

On happier news, the boy's birthday is this weekend so we're going up to Vegas to celebrate. Corey's best friend in the world and his wife live in Vegas so he's stoked about seeing them, and I'm looking forward to meeting them too. I've got baby fever in the worst way right now and his wife is 5 months preggo so I'm sure it's going to be like waving a ding dong in front of a fat woman. I know you're supposed to get hitched (and healthy) before you have babies, but they're just so freakin' cute. I need one!

We'll keep everyone updated if the boy wins a billion dollars at craps. Or, we'll move to Aruba and you'll never hear from us again.

The bad news, and the good news.

For those of you that were concerned, my surgery was a wash. They went in and found adhesions on my intestines, which is odd considering I'd never had pelvic surgery before. So, they cut them all out in hopes that it would stop my pain. Unfortunately, that must not have been the root of the pain as it came back in full force as soon as the post-surgery pain killers wore off. So, back to the medical drawing board.

The good news is that while I was busy recovering, the boy had his final awards ceremony and HE WON! So, he is now the NCO of the Quarter for Luke AFB. Pretty fancy award considering he was up against some great people. It came with some airline tickets and savings bonds, along with the massive bragging rights and ego boosts and I couldn't be prouder!

Next year he'll be competing for Luke AFB NCO of the Year 2008 against the three other quarterly winners. Very exciting!

Oh, and there was another scorpion in the house, but I'm not ready to talk about that yet. I'll let you know when the Valium kicks in.