Many New Things

Well hello everyone!  So it has been an extremely long time since we have chatted on here, but guess what.  I am back!!!  So there are alot of new things in which I will give you a fast update on.  Tom, TJ and I have moved back to NY.  There are many decisions that we had to make and we (mainly me) thought that this was going to be an answer to many problems.  Well, I was right to a point.  We are living with my father in law Bud and are truly greatful for his hospitality.  What was suppose to be a short term stay has shown to be benefiting both us and Bud in alot of different ways, so I'm not sure when we will get our own place again.  But anyways, we are here in NY and things are going good.  So let me update you a little on everyone.

So since we all chatted last a few changes have came about with Tom's career.  He is no longer working for Prime Inc and doing over the road.  He has had the opportunity to go local to work and is now working with a company called Heavy Duty Industrial Services.  He drives a water truck and helps the drilling companies by providing fresh water and also cleaning out the dirty water.  He has only been with this company for about 3 weeks but has been driving water tanker for a couple months now.  He likes it and always has interesting stories to tell.  For example he likes to tell about how on muddy days or snowy days when he cant get up a hill, the company will have a backhoe hook up to the water truck and pull them up the hill and back down.  Mind you, he drives on some roads inwhich cars dont even populate, so you can just imagine the fun he has.  He works alot right now, but it will be rewarding in the end.  He is home everyday which is great for us to be able to share more time together as a family.

TJ is doing good.  I think he is happy to be back to NY so he can see his mom and the other family, however I think he misses a real good friend in Missouri though.  He is doing good in school.  He is in 7th grade and getting ready to become a teenager on April 15th.  AAAAHHHHhhhhhhhh  I dont know if I'm ready for this or not.  Oh well.  He is getting ready to start BMX racing this weekend.  He is really excited about it and really looking forward to it.  We were able to get him a new bike or it and he loves it.  We'll see how he does with that.

I am doing ok.  I am still taking classes through University of Phoenix and am scheduled to graduate in October as long as I dont fail any classes or take time off.  I will have an Associates Degree in Foundations of Business which I am really excited about.  I have worked hard to get this far and glad it is so close.  I am still having alot of physical problems with my foot/knee/hip/bulging disc in my back.  Everyday is a constant ride on the pain train.  Hopefully that will change soon.  More details about that to come in another post.  I have also become an Independent Consultant for Scentsy which I absolutely love.  To find out more information about that check out my website at:  https://familydream.scentsy.us

Well I think im gonna close now, but please check again soon because I promise there will be pictures and more posts to come soon.

my accident

so saturday was not the best day. i went to go to walmart and missed the entrance so i went to the next parking lot and blacked out (which we feel is from my sugar dropping real low) and hit a cement based light pole. because of my seatbelt not catching due to my husbands codriver getting rear ended the week before and breaking it, i hit the steering wheel very hard and starting to have problems breathing because of the pain. i was taken to the er and after spending 8 hours there they wanted me to come back sunday (easter) and do a catscan. they wanted to rule out a possible bloodclot which could have explained the blacking out. well i went back and had to be given medicine through iv to calm the pain down and finally was able to do the scan. it is very hard for me to lay on my back because of the pain and because the pain takes my breathe away. so they found i didnt have a bloodcot but i do have 5 fractured ribs (3 on the left and 2 on the right). THAT TOTALLY EXPLAINS THE EXCRUTIATING PAIN!!!!! so now i have to rest and limit my activity because i hurt so bad and i need them to heal pretty fast. hopefully it will heal quickly. as far as my tahoe im not sure it will be fixable. :-( i will keep my fingers crossed.

Life keeps going

So it has been awhile and alot has gone on. I have gotten doctor orders that I can be weight baring on my leg. WOOOOHOOOO!!! I started PT 3 times a week and love the girls I work with there. I have been working real hard at getting stronger but have had a few obstacles in the way. Tom has been busy with work. He has been working his butt off and it seems like for nothing at times. He has gotten sooo discouraged but he is still hanging in there. He is out west right now solo because his trainee is home for his grandmothers funeral.
So in February, my grandpa started to tell us how he was having severe pain in his left arm and shoulder to the point where he couldnt stand it. He went to the doctor and they ordered an MRI on a Friday afternoon and later that night his doctor called and said you need to meet me in the hospital to be admitted tomorrow morning. He didnt complain because it was for more testing. He just was having a real hard time with the pain so he didnt really complain. On Saturday after being admitted the doctors told him they found 6 tumors on his vertebre that were cancer and one of them was up near a spot in his neck where it could cause paralasis. They immediately started radiation that day. They ran more tests and found that he had a total of 7 tumors on his vertebre and he had spots on his lung and liver. After being in the hospital for a week and being on radiation everyday they found he had Stage 4 cancer. It was spreading so fast in his body that it was incurable. It ended up in his Lungs, liver, sternum, vertebre and was spreading like wildfire. He went home and the doctors gave him 6 months to live and provided hospice to come in and help control the pain. He continued to do radiation once he got home for about a week and he was so confused and week it was very hard for the family to watch this. He was in constant pain and the meds would just confuse him and make him sleep. On Monday March 9th he went for his radiation treatment and because he had developed a cold they gave him a breathing treatment. He was having a real hard time so my grandma slept with him in the livingroom that night. She woke up about 5:30 or so and noticed he was breathing really heavy. She patted him to get him to wake up and he opened his eyes and tried to say something but she couldnt understand him. She went to get my uncle and aunt and when they got back into the livingroom he was breathing really really slow and then just stopped breathing. It was very hard to hear of his passing for many reasons but like my grandma keeps saying atleast he isnt suffering anymore. I was able to fly up to NY and be there with my family because of a very special friend helping with my ticket. Im very lucky my husband got to be there to support me to. My grandma is doing ok right night. She is being strong but the loneliness is setting in big time the last couple days. She misses just every noise he would make (cough, bitch, laugh) but I think she will make it.
When I got back life has continued. Still trying to figure out what is wrong with TJ and why he is having the chest pains, but hopefully after some more test we will know. He gets so frustrating at times with his attitude but I love him more than he will ever know.
As for me Im trying to recoop from over doing it bigtime in NY. My leg is feeling better. Im just trying to go on and making sure people know that I love them.

Really Frustrated

So I am stuck with a problem right now. I have a situation with someone who I love dearly but am starting to question majorly. This person has helped me with alot lately because of my surgery and they volunteered however the other day I heard this person on the phone saying things that really hurt. It makes me feel like she is saying one thing to my face and really feeling and talking crap behind my back. I feel like me and my family have been nothing but an inconvenience to this person yet she is using me as a reason not to do things at times. GRRRRRR I am soooo frustrated right now. I have done so much for her and her spouse yet I feel so freakin taken advantage of!! I am doing alot more than I probably should right now just so I dont have to ask for help and be an inconvenience!!!! I am just so frustrated and dont know what to do because I want to say something but this person is leaving soon. At this point Im ready to say GOOD BYE and dont let the door hit you on the way out!!! I know thats mean but thats how I feel right this second!!!!
So I'm gonna go try to calm down some more and hopefully I wont say or do something I will regret. I just want to cry and throw up im so upset about it!!!!!

Life of Jessica right now

So it has been been a rough few weeks here for me. As many of you have read, I had a knee reconstruction surgery a few weeks ago and then a whirlwind happened. After I got out of surgery I was fine, but a few hours later I crashed. I became unresponsive and had a really scary experience. All I remember is that I woke up not being able to breathe. As I was laying there drifting in and out of consciousness I remember hearing the nurses and doctors panicking and shaking me trying to wake me up and then I would go black again. I remember seeing my mom and my dad and then I saw Tom's great grandma (who are all dead) and got real scared. It was really bright (kind of like you hear in the stories about the bright light that you follow) and I would come back to hearing the nurses yelling. I kept doing this and it was really scary but then I felt the best thing in the world...Toms hand and heard his voice. I remember hearing him talking to the nurses and he was so calm. I have never heard him like that before. He talked to me and he helped me stay in reality. I truly think if he did not come when he did, I may not be here today blogging. It was the scariest feeling in the world to ever feel like that. So when I came around, I was in CCU on a ventilator to help me breathe and was able to communicate by squeezing Toms hand. It was real nice too because my great friend "T" was there and was a big comfort and support not only to me, but to Tom as well. I know I appreciated all she did for us too. I did get better and was able to finally get out of CCU and into a room where I was able to start moving around (walking to and from the bathroom) and starting to do Physical Therapy. After being in the hospital for almost a week I was finally released and got to go home. It was the best feeling in the world to be at home to see TJ and my puppies and kitties.
So I went to get my staples out of my knee and the incision looks real good. Ive got a couple scabs where the staples had blisters and when the staples came out they popped. Can I just say OUCH...taking out staples hurt!!!! I had 35 staples total. Grrrr.
So Tom had to leave back out and I have grandma Deb here to help me out and to help watch and care for TJ. I am doing PT 2 times a week (and yes they come to my house) and just trying to re coop. I am non weight baring on my leg which means I cant stand on it or drive or anything, but that's only until the end of February. I am able to do some, but get real frustrated because I want to do so much more!!!!
So my new dilemma is that grandma is going back to NY in 10 days and I am really really scared of being here by myself. I'm not sure what we are going to do, but we'll figure it out. I'll be OK.
Tom is in California right now going up to Oregon for tomorrow night. He took such good care of me when he was home and am real glad to have him in my life. I know that if he wasn't there when he was, I really don't think i would be here right now.
TJ has been off school all week. We had some major snow/sleet/ice come down and the roads have not been the best in the world. He is going stir crazy because he is not in a structured routine being off school. He has been a big help for me through all this. He is a real good kid.
So I am tired and am going to take a nap. I was able to get into the Tahoe and go to Walmart today to get a few things and it felt so good, but so tiring at the same time. I will keep you posted on how things are going. I just want you all to know that I love you all and am really glad to have you part of my life. I am so appreciative to all those that have been helpful to me. THANK YOU!!!

Still at the hospital.

Well we are into day 5 of this nightmare and still at Cox South at least we are in a private room. Jess is doing alot better doctor says it may not be phnemonia but somthing with a bigger name that i cant even think about pronounceing. We are on a day by day thing now. We have no idea when she may be well enough to come home but i will not leave her side till we are home and i know shre is safe!!!!! She will have her laptop tommorrow and probably will update the blog herself this experience has changed me forever and i know that i love her more now than i ever did.... Well thats all for now will be an update tommarow either from her me or both of us....

OMG What a few days.

Well as you all know Jess had surgery on 1/15/09 for knee reconstruction. Well fist let me tell you that that was a success but jess didn't do well at all in post op recovery she was in her room and asleep when she crashed. I got a call to get there asap and found out she was un responsive and not breathing well. She has been in CCU at Cox south for the last 3 days and is doing extremely well she should be in a regular room tomorrow. I have been at her side for as long as my body would let me stay awake and i have gone from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. and now am so high due to the excellent day she had that i can't stop smiling. Well I'm fixing to go to bed and this is the first time i have had opportunity to blog hope this updates all and eliminates worry from no updates since surgery day.

Weekend

So its the end of the weekend which is nice because TJ gets to go back to school, but it was a pretty productive and "fun" weekend. Saturday was chore day and punishment day for TJ but after that its was good. He went to walmart with grandma (a whole other story in itself which I'll tell of later) and after being there "forever" in his words they finally got home and he had bought me something special. I had a few days which have been pretty painful and was not having the best days and he felt bad and wanted to cheer me up. He bought me a lovely bracelet with the letter J on it (stands for Jessica...LOL). It was so adorable and I was so thrilled he thought of me like that. It is so nice to see that a little love can do wonders for a child no matter what kind of past they lived in. So after dinner, me and TJ worked on a BIG PROJECT!!! We had bought a corner desk before thanksgiving and had not gotten it up yet. With TJ doing most of the work (which I must say he is VERY good at). We got it up 99% of the way. We only have a couple cosmetic things to take care of, but it looks great! Today I spent alot of the day in the office getting things set up and functional on the new desk and make it look neat. He had alot of fun playing with his toys today and riding his bike. I love how he is old enough that he really can entertain himself at times when you need it.
So tonight I was on the computer and I got to talk to a few good friends. It was nice to see how they are doing and everything. I miss them very much!! It was even cooler when I got to talk to Mama H. She is my BEST friend in the whole worlds mom and I have known her since I was VERY little. After my mom died, she really helped me keep together and strong during some real important times and was there even when I couldnt keep together and strong any longer. She has been a major support in my life and she will NEVER know how important she is to me. She has also always been there for my family (especially my sister) when they needed her too. Im so thrilled that she can still stay in our lives even though we are so far away!!!!
So I gotta get going for now. My cat just made a nasty "mess" in grandmas room. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH. Will update later.

Life on the road

Well been busy and after 2 days in the truck at the yard we finally got a load to cali first time to cali in a while we delivered today and immediately picked up another load going to Oak Creek, WI we deliver on fri at 0800 truck and APU have been behaving nicely we finally have a new seat back and replaced the mirror on the hood spent almost $600 bucks at the parts room but finally got the old girl back in shape just wish i could get the fuel millage back up. Willie (my co-driver) is doing great and life is fine in 2009!!!! Ya'll be safe and have a great day!

Hello

Hey everyone! So yeah i know its been awhile but wow has lots been going on. Last time we updated Tom was in Oregon with a broken truck and playing in the snow. Well since then, he was able to get back on the road and kept trucking (without TOOOO much difficulties) until Christmas Eve. He got in late afternoon and was here to relax and enjoy Christmas Eve with us. Bud got in also the day before so we were all together for the holiday. So Christmas was good. We had TJ, Bud, Deb, Tom and me here for the holiday which was real nice. This was our first real Christmas as a family here at home. We were able to stay in and didnt have to go anywhere. We were lucky to have Bud and Deb provide the dinner which was one less thing to worry about. It was soooo yummy. So then, the next night was the company christmas party for my husband and Bud's work and we got all dressed up and had fun going there. There was alot of people and it was pretty fun. I think they might have gotten the hint that once the band started singing and everyone left that the band was not the best. I was the Designated Driver so they all got feeling pretty happy drinking. It was fun as heck watching it all. We had a great time and got to share the evening with some of our friends we dont get to see very often. When we were done there, TJ was still at our friends and was spending the night, so it was nice not having to worry about picking him up until the next day.
So I was suppose to have surgery having a total knee reconstruction on December 29th, however that morning the Doctor called and said that my sugar was a little too high (which it wasnt really) and he decided that he wanted to get another xray done to make sure im properly aligned from my hip to my ankle otherwise the knee reconstruction would most likely be a failure. So after getting the xray done and getting my family doctor to sign off on my sugar levels (which she is monitoring closely), we had to wait ALL week to know when we could do the surgery. If i wasnt aligned properly, I would have to have it done in 2 stages which is not wanted. ANYWAYS....friday I got the good news that we were a go on the surgery and the scheduler would talk to me monday about getting it scheduled. WOOOHOOOO!!!!! My new surgery date is set for January 15, 2009. Im so excited because this will be the start of making life better for me. I hopefully will be able to do things better and be able to live my life to the fullest with a better outcome and quality.
So new years eve was good spending time with my family and rang in the new year feeling pretty good. Tom is back on the road and i miss him very much but things are needing to be done for the sake of the family. I love him sooo much and no matter what he things sometimes I appreciate everything he does for us. I know that he cant wait to come off the truck and I really look forward to that day! So I am going to go to bed for now. I have had alot of pain the last couple days to the point where most of my days have been in bed. I hate feeling like this but its part of my life right now. Hopefully after the surgery is done then it wont be like this. So everyone take care and be safe. Remember we love you! Make sure to leave comments so we know who all is out there reading. Thanks!!


OHHHH YEAHHHHH....I forgot to tell you the worst part of having my surgery on January 15th. I WONT BE ABLE TO GO TO MY BRAD PAISLEY CONCERT WITH MY HUSBAND!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH oh well though. I would rather get better than to have the fun. :-( :-( :-(

What a trip.

Well we finally got to Washington after going through hell and snow and ICE and chains and all. So we dropped that load and were dispatched on a load that was already 1 day late and is now 2 days late. So we were heading to the new load and i wrecked the truck well sorta wrecked I hit black ICE and slid off in the ditch. No damage except to my shorts LOL. Then on to the pickup we waited till morning due to the aforementioned black ice got to the shipper. Drooped our trailer and hooked the new one the brakes on the trailer where locked frozen and it would not move. I gave the truck a llittle gas and that was all it took the drive shaft broke and now we are sitting in a hotel room.. If i don't answer phone you'll know why. My wife who i love dearly is not making this easy as she is upset which is making me upset but i cant get upset cause am sharing my room with my trainee. Hunny it will be OK we have been dealt worse and more nasty stuff than this we will be fine!!! well i guess that's all for now. Love you all and Be Safe!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom is in Oregon

So, here is an update on Tom. He is up in Portland, Oregon parked for awhile. He is suppose to pick up a load (which is late anyways before he even got dispatched on it). He had to go from in Washington right next to the Canadian border and it took them soooo long to go that far. They had to chain up and everything earlier after going into the ditch trying to climb up a hill. It is the scariest feeling in the world to know that you are talking to someone on the phone who you cant live without and he is getting ready to slide off the road and possibly hurt himself or heaven forbid anyone else. I worry about him so much!!! I dont know what I would ever do without him. I guess I worry too much because winter tends to bring up memories about my mom's accident. I get so knumb when I hear him talkin about the weather and roads.
Anyways, he is parked for the night and safe until tomorrow. Everyone relax he is a professional. (I know I know...tell myself that!) Love to everyone and be safe!

Sad passing

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

I hate winter

So, Tom is up in Washington right now playing in snow and ice. AHHHHHHHhhhhh I hate winter. He has already had to chain up and is running a day behind. So I worry whenever he is out in weather like this. I always fear the worst. :-( I just love him so much and I don't know what I would ever do without him. I miss him so much.

So today we got our sliding glass door replaced with nice new French doors. They are really nice!!! The dogs seem to like them too. So after that, TJ had a work day for scouts and I went over to my friend T's house. We worked on a bunch of stuff. It has been awhile since we've been able to hang out. I missed her. I am feeling better than I was feeling, but not 100%.

Well hope everyone is doing well. I will update more later.

BREAKING NEWS

BREAKING NEWS:

In 2009 the government will start killing all the crazy people.
I started crying when I thought of you.
Run little friend, run!

MENTAL HOSPITAL PHONE MENU

Hello and thank you for calling The State Mental Hospital.

Please select from the following options menu:

If you are obsessive-compulsive, press 1 repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2 for you.

If you have multiple personalities, press 3, 4, 5 and 6.

If you are paranoid, we know who you are and what you want,
stay on the line so we can trace your call.

If you are delusional, press 7 and
your call will be forwarded to the Mother Ship.

If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully
and a little voice will tell You which number to press.

If you are manic-depressive, HANG UP!
It doesn't matter which number you press,
nothing will make you happy anyway.

If you are dyslexic, press 9-6-9-6.

If you are bipolar, please leave a message after the beep
or before the beep or after the beep.
BUT PLEASE WAIT FOR THE BEEP.

If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.
If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.
If you have short-term memory loss, press 9.

If you have low self-esteem, PLEASE HANG UP.
OUR OPERATORS ARE TOO BUSY TO TALK WITH YOU.

If you are MENOPAUSAL, PUT THE GUN DOWN,
HANG UP, TURN ON THE FAN, LIE DOWN AND CRY.
YOU WON'T BE CRAZY FOREVER.

If you are blonde, don't press any buttons.
You'll just mess it up.

This coming week is NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH CARE week.
You can do your part by remembering to contact at least
one unstable person to show you care.

(Well, my job is done. Your turn!!)

Blah Blah Blah Sick

So today was pretty uneventful at the house. I have been fighting a cold all week but today I woke up feeling so terrible. I woke up and talked to Tom and immediately he could tell I didn't feel good. My chest was so congested, my throat is swollen and my nose was severely stuffed. I couldn't breathe and felt so badly. I slept most the day and Deb took care of TJ for me. I am eternally grateful for that. I'm feeling somewhat better tonight however not totally better by far. If I'm not better by Monday I will be calling the doctor.

Tom is on his way to Florida. He is going to be early, but he's still gotta go. I miss him so much especially when I'm not feeling good. His trainee is still new and luckily this load has plenty of time on it because he only drove 200 miles and was tired and had to pull over. Tom is trying to drill the importance of sleeping every chance he gets. He'll get it soon enough....hopefully!!!!

However the main reason I am writing tonight is because I feel bad about something that happened today. I have a friend who is my best friend in the whole world. I hurt her today and not meaning to. She has had a lot going on and we were suppose to get together today, however because I was sick I canceled on her. I upset her very badly and hurt her feelings. I realized that I have not given her much time lately because of everything that's been going on in my life. I owe her an apology.

"T"....IM SOOOO SORRY I HAVE NEGLECTED YOU IN THE TIME THAT YOU NEEDED ME. I AM SO SORRY YOU FELT THAT WAY BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING GOING ON. I WISH I COULD HAVE COME TODAY. I WAS LOOKING SOOOOOOO FORWARD TO IT. I PROMISE I WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU SOMEHOW SOMEDAY!!! YOU ARE MY FAMILY, FRIEND, SISTER, AND CONFIDANT. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE IN MY HEART THAT NO MATTER WHAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY!! I HOPE YOU CAN ACCEPT MY APOLOGY!
I LOVE YOU LADY!!!!

Life in the Woodruff household

So its been awhile since I've blogged so I figured I should at least give somewhat of an update. Alot has been going on around here. We recently hosted Thanksgiving which was great. We were blessed to have been surrounded by lots of family and friends (totaling 14 of us). We had plenty of food and things even though they may have been a little hectic, went pretty well. On Friday we had a busy day getting ready for Saturday which was another busy day. Toms dad was getting married to a wonderful lady on Saturday after thanksgiving and it happened to be taking place (yes again) at our house. Our house got lots of use in that week before getting ready. There were dogs running around, people running around and me stressing to make sure things were going to go over good. Luckily everything did go well and Saturday was a great day. Dad and Deb were married and again we had lots of people over again. There was lots of stress but all went great!!!







So lets see, Tom is back on the road. After his student failed twice on the road test, he finally passed and got his CDL. Now Tom has taken him out on the road as a trainee. He made a BIG booboo this morning because when he stopped driving, he didnt wake Tom up to keep going. Because they are team, they need to be going all the time. Luckily Tom woke up and got there ok, however it could have been VERY bad for Tom. They are in Texas picking up a load going to Florida to deliver on Monday. They will be there way before that, so they are going to try to drop it at the drop yard in Florida.

TJ is doing well. He is on this rollercoaster of emotion lately. Somedays are really really good and then in the drop of a hat he is grouchy or starts back talking to me. I think he is thinking about family in New York and because of the trouble he's been causing with school and homework and stuff, he has lost the privelage of going up to New York for christmas. Some say thats mean or a terrible thing to do, but in a way its a good thing because we dont have to deal with the problems we would when he comes back. He starts basketball practice next week and games will start in January. He is also doing well with Cub Scouts and working towards getting more badges and crossing over into Boy Scouts.

I am doing ok. As many who know me know change of the seasons get difficult for me emotionally. I miss my family more and especially my mom and dad. I tend to hybernate more but Im doing VERY well compared to how it use to be. Lots of news on my pain situation though. I finally found out what is wrong with my leg and the nerve damage that I have. I went to see a Neurologist and had some tests done that show that the nerves in my right leg below my knee are barely working. He was very disappointed because he knew how badly I wanted to know what we could do. After giving me some options I wasnt happy with, he recommended I talk to an orthopedic surgeon. I went to go see the surgeon and after a 10 minute exam (which blew his mind how badly my leg truly is) he was able to tell me that he knew what the problem is with my leg. When I fell 5 years ago, my leg twisted to where my toes were facing the ground while I was laying on my back. Basically when I fell, I twisted my knee around and stretched out and tore the ligaments and tendons in my knee. When my knee twisted it also damaged the nerve that goes down into my leg. He was very sweet and compassionate in answering my many questions and I left him with one question. What can we do to help increase the QUALITY of my life. At the rate im going with the pain and all the complications I have incurred because of this injury I will be screwed by the time Im even 40. We left my appointment with him promising to research what good options I have. I worried because he didnt call for about a week and when he did call, he had a good option for me. Because of the extent of damage in my knee as well as the problems with my leg, he wanted to do a Knee Reconstruction where he would take and cut and reconnect my ligaments, tendons and then scrape all the scar tissue on the nerve and see if there is the possibility for the nerve to start working again. There is a VERY SLIM chance I will have the nerve working again, however im going to need my knee redone down the road anyways, so why not.

So now I am scheduled to have surgery on December 29, 2008. We chose to have it done then because Tom will be home for the holidays and I already have Deb staying with me until christmas and she is willing to stay as long as I need until I am recovered. I am very very nervous, but I need to do something and this seems to be my best option. I will keep everyone updated and let you know how im doing. Im sure I'll be able to blog when Im laying in bed recovering. I am sooo greatful for Deb's willingness to stay with me and help me when I need it. I hate asking and depending on peoples help, but hopefully this will help me get better at asking for it when I need it. Oh yeah, when I was talking to TJ about my surgery he said "Mom dont worry. I dont mind taking off 6 weeks of school to help take care of you!" LOL Gotta love the effort.

So that is enough for now. It is now 12:45 in the morning and Im really tired. i will make sure to update again soon. Take care and hope you all are well.

Christmas Decorations Going Up

So since my husband who I absolutely love is not at home while we are putting up christmas decorations, I figured I would post little things that I do as I do them. More to come later I promise!!

Family Pictures Taken 11/2008

We went on a Saturday when Tom was home to a local park and had some pictures taken as a family. Enjoy!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Crazy 8's

I've been tagged:

8 TV Shows I Love To Watch
1. ER
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Dancing With the Stars
4. John & Kate Plus 8
5. My Big Redneck Wedding
6. Black Gold
7. Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader
8.Extreme Makeover Home Edition

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Zio's
2. Ziggy's
3. Lamberts
4. Applebees
5. Alice Irenes
6. Olive Garden
7. Lamplighter
8. Mongolian Grill

8Things That Happened Yesterday
1. Went to get eye exam
2.Delivered popcorn
3. Watched a movie
4. Dealt with TJ's attitude
5. Talked to Ashley
6. Talked to Tom ( an everyday occurrence)
7. Took a shower
8. slept in

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To
1. Thanksgiving and spending time with the family and friends that are coming
2. Having our first real family christmas
3. Ashley graduating from Delhi
4. Deb and Bud getting married
5. Going out on the truck with Tom someday
6. Tom's lease being up and taking time off
7. Going to see the lights in Branson for christmas
8. Feeling better maybe someday!

8 Things I Love About Fall
1. Cool weather
2. The beautiful colors of the trees
3. school starting again
4. change of smell in the air
5. new tv shows starting back up
6. Getting to sleep an hour longer
7. Thanksgiving
8. shopping for christmas

8Things On My Wish List
1. someone having a baby for us someday
2. fixing my leg to where it works
3. visit my family
4. A day without pain
5. TJ to open up and be truly happy
6. Home of our own with no past bad memories
7. Tom coming off the road and finding a good job locally
8. NO MORE DRAMA!!!!

8 People I'm Tagging
1. Tom
2. Tish
3. Michele
4. Tiffany
5. Ashley
6. Debbie
7. Bud
8. Deb

on the road as usual

Well were about to finish a trip from Riverside, California to Pottsville Pennsylvania. been a pretty uneventful trip fuel mileage is been good, loads light. And OK. all and all all is going good. My son and I went camping with the Boy Scouts last weekend in Lebanon, Missouri. We have a lot of fun I wound up sleeping on the ground, even though I brought an air mattress. You know, sometimes those things just leak a little. Nothing like going to sleep comfy on an air mattress and waking up with a rock in your back. Not sure where I'm going to go next, we deliver a Wal-Mart here in Pottsville Pennsylvania in eight o'clock in the morning.

I guess I'll write more when I find out where were going next.

So for now, we're signing off from the road, you'll have a great daywill talk at you later.

Staci and Tom

So here is another video. This is Tom's sister Staci and him. I will have more video's to come in the near future.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tom's Video

So now I have some scanned in of Tom growing up, I thought you might love to see them.
Enjoy!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Video of Cousin Malorie

So Tom got some pictures from his Uncle Verne's house this summer and I finally got some of them scanned in. Here is a video of Tom's cousin Malorie and Aunt Cinda. More to come....I PROMISE!!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

life on the road

Well plans change quicker than I expected them to. as you seen from my wife's previous post, things changed quite a bit. well I thought we were going Hammond, Wisconsin, as it turns out, I guess were going to Minneapolis, Minnesota. as my wife said the bill said we were supposed to go to Minnesota. But apparently the QUALCOMM said we were going to Hammond Wisconsin.not really sure who made this boo-boo, but apparently it's a little bit of a boo-boo. at least this was a good lesson for my trainee. and now he knows to check the bills thoroughly before doin loaded call.

Well anyway, I guess that's all for tonight y'all have a great day talk to you all later.

Geography Question

So, I'm just wondering if Geography and Reading are taught differently in different states???

So, here's the deal.....Tom gets dispatched on a load going from California to deliver one stop in Wisconsin and then the last load in Illinois. So his trainee picks up the load, gets the paperwork and then does a live load call. That's great, he does what he needs to do and starts to head towards Wisconsin. Well Tom happened to be looking at the paperwork as they are sitting in Iowa and the paperwork says his first stop is in Minnesota.

My question is......Since when is Minnesota also known as Wisconsin????? If you know the answer to this, then let me know please!

Life on the road.

Well that plan changed. We did the short hop now we are in UT bound for WI then on to IL we del Mon and Tue, Everything been going OK somehow got stuck on nights i hate nights getting to old to drive all night. Well that's all for now when i get a chance i will do a video of road pics y'all have a great day.

Cute Babies Movie

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So this is my first one, so it didnt quite turn out like i wanted, but wanted to play around with it. Better ones to come I promise!!!!

Quick Update

So here is a quick update on things. I finally got my appointment to see a neurologist on October 28th!! Can you say hurry up and get in or what. I got the results of my MRI. I have a bulging disc in my lower back but that's not what is causing all my problems. Right now its a waiting game. I am feeling better from the steroids affecting me. Thank goodness.

So TJ is doing mandatory state testing all week in school. He is doing really good and much better since now he feels needed here by us. He feels loved and boy does that make a difference. he is making friends too which is really good.

Tom is good. He is in California delivering tonight and then doing a short hopper and then picking up another load in the morning going to Virginia. (I have no idea...so ask me later) His co driver has been worthless lately (Partly because he was sick, but also taking advantage of being lazy). Grrr he should be in sometime next week.

Feeling better

Have you ever had such terrible pain and wished it would just go away but wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy??? I've been there this last week. I've been on some steroids the last 6 days and oh my gosh did it make me sick. I would be sooo tired and jittery and stomach messed up that I just wanted to stay in bed. Me and TJ had a very lazy weekend. He curled up with me on the couch and just stayed there with me. I don't think we moved hardly at all on Saturday. I went to physical therapy and i am now using a cane full time until further notice and I am getting a brace for my leg to help it. I dont get the brace until my appointment on Sept. 23rd.

So TJ is doing good. He has testing all this week for the 5th grade. He is taking the custody change pretty well. He knows he is going to get more of what he needs down here. We never would down his mom or stepdad infront of him but he knows how they cant take care of him. Now we are just waiting to get a copy of the papers from the judge finalizing the custody arraingment.

So Tom got to spend some time with his dad while in New York which was nice. Bud has met a real sweet lady who has made him soooo happy. I have never heard him as gitty as he is. I am so happy for them and cant wait to meet her. So Tom left Elmira and went to Baldwinsville, NY to pick up a Budweiser load going to Knoxville, TN area. He delivered this morning and not sure where he's going next.

So here is a picture of Tom and Bud. I am glad I finally got a picture of them.

lalalalalalala

so here it is almost 4:00 am and i cant sleep. i am real nervous about tomorrow. tom is going to court to hopefully finalize custody and im afraid something may go wrong. i dont know what, but theres just that fear.
so i went to go get an mri done today to figure out what is going on with my leg. im getting to the point where there is alot of pain and not feeling good and its becoming unbearable so we are trying to figure out what is going on. in the meantime i am on a bunch of meds and now have an appointment with physical therapy in the morning to see if there is anything they can do to help me. hopefully next week i will also have an appointment with a neurologist to test the nerves in my leg and back. hopefully it'll get better soon.
so after blogging i think im tired enough where i may be able to catch a few hours of sleep. wishing you all a great remainder of the week.

TJ

Ok, so here is TJ's school picture for 2008-2009 school year. He is in 5th grade! He is sooo cute! And look at those dimples. If you dont agree with me that he is adorable, you need glasses!!!

Tom and TJ

So, Tom is on his way from TN up to PA where he can then go up to NY for court. He is going on Friday to hopefully finalize custody of keeping TJ with us. He is more stable, less moody, and definitely doing better in school. Tom and I have really been hoping to get full custody of TJ someday, however we were shocked when they started the proceedings and everything. They don't seem to really care about his feeling otherwise they would call more or something. When we told TJ about how we were making things legal and he would live with us until further notice, he actually took it pretty well. We had been having problems with him not bringing stuff home from school. Since that night we all 3 talked, TJ has brought home all his work (to our knowledge), brought home a Science test he took and got an A on and also took 2 AR reading tests and got 100% on both of them. His attitude has improved in alot of ways (minus the typical attitude) and he is making friends. I find him more out with his friends after school than just sitting around doing nothing. Im hoping that we can keep him going on the straight path and make him realize that he matters to someone. We love him sooo much and are so happy he is here with us!

Sold my couch...

So, we got a new sectional off craigslist that is real nice, so we decided to sell our hide-a-bed on craigslist. Well, after people saying ill come look and buy it, no one showed. So then yesterday afternoon a college kid from Springfield called me and said him and a few guys would come look at it, they showed up at like 9:15 at night. 3 of the 4 guys went and sat down on it and here is how I knew they wanted to buy it:
Guy 1 - "Dude this is soooo the drinkin' couch"
Guy 3 - "ooooooohhhhhhhh yeah"
Guy 2 - Thumbs up

OMG what a freakin funny moment!! So then i was torn because I was thinking about how much to sell it to them for. I was thinking before they came if they were guys that seemed serious into school I was gonna lower it, but after a 1/2 second I said heck no. They are the partiers and need to pay full price. OMG what a Daniel moment!!!

What the.....

OK....so yeah ive been kinda moody today for many reason I dont need to share. So my husband bugged me to post, so Im gonna post!!! But first let me ask all you women out there a question...If you tell your husband that your love them, but do you normally get??? If you get what I got tonight, call me and we can talk!!! Here is how the conversation went:

Jessica - "I love you honey!! I miss you!!"
Tom - "Really?? Uh, I love you too"


WHAT THE HECK DUDE!!!!!!!! This post is for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


OH YEAH....BY THE WAY.....Just so you know....

Damn Foreigners

Well I was asleep taking a nap but a damn foreign driver that don't know how to drive decided to wake me up in a not nice way. He didn't take into account the 8 foot swing of his trailer and hit my passenger side mirror bending it and breaking the cover. If these idiots want to come over here and drive truck they aughta at least know they have a trailer good grief. This moron wouldn't give me all the info i needed so the shipper held him here and called the cops which he proceeded to piss off big time if they could have found anything he would have been going to jail.he was annoying me so much that i almost decked him damn what a way to start a Friday.

Funny Corgi's

Go check out my website for my Corgi's. Make sure to check out the videos too.

They are soooo cute!!

http://www.mycorgi.com/profile/Jessica24

News from the road.

Well wife says i should blog to so here goes. We are in Bolingbrook, IL headed to meet Hanna the Tropical storm hurricane in the Carolina's. We have 4 drops 2 in Greensboro 1 in Raleigh and final in rocky mount, NC hope we beet the storm but i don't think we will will post more later

Ruby and Frisbee

So about a week and a half ago we got a new dog. Her name is Ruby and she is a Corgi as well. Frisbee and her are getting along pretty well. She is really helping with teaching Frisbee a thing or two. She is AKC registered and is a great addition to the family. She is alot calmer and sweeter than Frisbee but we love them both.

Frisbee is enjoying the playmate. Being a Corgi, I was hoping he would get along with her and he has. He thinks he's king and she puts him in his place. It is really funny.

This Tuesday we took Ruby for a grooming appointment because she needed her toes clipped and her fur trimmed up and a bath. She is overweight so she got a real bad heat rash before we got her. After talking to the groomer we decided to trim her down short so she can heal and not be so hot. She is so cute and looks better, but Frisbee doesn't like it because he cant grab her by the fur anymore.

Craziness

Sorry everyone that its been too long. It has been a BUSY CRAZY month. Lots have happened.

So my trip to NY was great! I had lots of fun and loved it, but its always great to get home. I got to see alot of my family and friends and it was awesome. We went up to Aunt Diane and Uncle PJ's cottage on seneca lake and it was sooo relaxing but me and nanny ended up getting sick. It took me about 2 weeks on and off even after I got back home to shake that bug. It was sooo crappy. I am so glad that I feel better. So after I got back then it was time to start TJ at school.

Woooohooo!!!! School started August 14th. He is now in 5th grade where he starts switching teachers for Social Studies, Science and Reading. He also starts using a locker (which is already horrid). We are already starting the "I dont have to do my homework" routine. Im getting real frustrated already and tired of the game. Hopefully it will get better.

Thats all for now. I will finish up later.

2 days but not counting...

So I have 2 days before vacation begins, but I would never be counting the days. Its only been a year and a half plus since I've been home to NY to visit. Im really excited, but really nervous to fly. Ive never flown before and im just real nervous. Atleast I have someone flying with me that can help calm me down.
So Tom dropped a load going to New Mexico for tomorrow in Texas at the drop yard. He now FINALLY picked up a 28 trailer for the first time. He is going to pick up a HOT load for Tyson in Center, Texas going to Arizona by Thursday. He is now trying to figure out which Center, Texas he is suppose to go to because there are 4 of them in Texas. LOL Gotta love Mary.
So here is a picture of our new baby puppy Frisbee. He was chewing his bone and i distracted him for a second. He has been getting mad because I am going out of town. He's not happy.
So Im just trying to get stuff done before I leave, so thats it for now. Have a great day and be safe!!

Summer Fun

So we have had a fun summer so far. TJ ended school and then the next day we moved out of Springfield. I am so happy that we moved because it was getting more and more unsafe where we lived. We had people messing around the house and knowing the druggies lived across the ravine made a really uneasy feeling (especially with gunshots going off all the time lately!) I was really excited because we also had Ash come down for 2 months. She was able to help us move. The move could have gone better, but we made it a and are mostly unpacked. So TJ was in town for the month of June which was nice, but it was really good that he got to go up to NY to see his mom and stepdad and brothers and sister. I think he was really looking forward to it, but at the same time didnt want to go. I feel so bad that he gets torn like that, but theres nothing I can do.
So Tom came in for my birthday and was able to take TJ up to NY with him. He likes to ride on the truck with daddy. So for the month of July Ash has been doing an internship in Springfield for an animal hospital which she has enjoyed. She is so excited when she gets to work with them and I think she's had lots of fun. I have taken advantage of having the house to myself with her at work. I have been able to do what I wanted to do. Its been really nice. I miss the alone time during the year.
So we also have a new addition to the family. We adopted a dog off of craigslist in the middle of May. His name is Frisbee and he is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He is a tri color and really been a challenge. We were told he was about a year and a half, but there is NO WAY!!! He is Waaaayyyyy too puppy. We think maybe a year old. So he is not UTD on all his shots and because of his little phase of marking everything, we had him fixed as well. He is doing soo much better now than when we first got him. He is definately a daddy's boy. He is a good dog for the most part.
So, here we are July 27 and its gonna get busy here soon. On July 30th we are gonna pick up our friend Tessa and she is gonna come housesit and animal sit for us while I go to NY to visit and pick up TJ to bring him back down for the school year. July 31st I have to register TJ for school and then me and Ash are going up to St. Charles to visit family. We catch a flight on Aug. 1st to go to NY. I will spend a few days up there and then come home and get TJ ready for school, which starts on August 14th. They start early down here, but they also get out early!!
Tom is delivering right now down in Louisiana. Its been difficult because we are use to talking every day and we have had phone issues for the last few days and havent been able to talk. I miss him and its hard not to talk to him. It is soo not fun to not be able to talk to him. Luckily we are getting a housephone tomorrow, so hopefully that will help.
Well I guess that is enough for now, I will hopefully blog everyday so that you all can know whats going on. I send my love out to all my family and friends who are able to read this. Everyone be safe!!!