My new spine.

Hello everyone. I know I have been trying to keep these blog things as upbeat and nice but have been in some not so great spirits. Monday I had an incident where thanks to my low blood pressure had a dizzy spell and fell backwards into my door frame directly on my incision. I won't even try to explain the amounts of pain that caused. Lets just say I was uncontrollably sobbing... And shaking from the extreme pain. Anyways Sonoran spine seemed to not give a hoot about that and didn't bother calling back but I was so worried so for the 4th day in a row spent over 30 minutes just trying to get through to their answering services only for the on call physician to make me feel as if I was over reacting. I wasn't very nice to her. Anyways I didn't sleep much Monday night and felt very much like throwing up. I wrote that off to how upset I was all afternoon after everything that had happened. Which btw thank you Sam for being so great after all that happened. I could see in your eyes how badly you felt and love that you love me so much haha :-) but really you're such a great brother ! So Tuesday I still felt as though I was gonna puke but my Tata made a really good breakfast and I ate as much as I could... then for lunch ate a few bites of my supposed to be sammich from Monday night from wildflower... Then suddenly felt like I was really going to throw up. When I get up out of bed it takes me quite a while... It's annoying! Well thankfully I was able to quickly get up out of bed and throw up mostly into my sammich box. Thankfully wildflower wastes a lot of plastic to make over sized to go sandwich boxes. My poor hair wasn't as lucky as everything else. But I think I did pretty good other than that. Oh and I stepped in my sandwich right after too. I feel like I can't catch a break and have spent most of this week crying. I just can't help it though. So I called sonoran spine again and was told they didn't know about the fall. And I needed to make the two hour drive to get things checked out from everything. So I spent over four hours in the car today hoping I wasn't going to throw up anymore. My second mother took me and I am so thankful! She has a comfy car so it wasn't so bad. Jeni I will always be so grateful you came with me today! I decided to put my sheriff wooden pieces on my walker cause I needed to be as assertive as possible with the doctor when I got there due to my extreme unhappiness with Sonoran spine since Friday. And If I had to wait two hours to be seen like all my other appointments I would have lost it!! Thankfully the wait wasn't too bad and everything checked out okay. I am on new meds and feel as though I may pass out so now I nee to end this but I did yell at the PA and expressed everything I had to. Got my meds fixed. And anti nausea meds so I will hopefully not throw up anymore. Cause it hurts enough when you're in a normal state. Two weeks after surgery is unexplainable! But everything thankfully checked out fine and I am on my way to a smoother recovery from here. Thank you all again for your continued support and prayers. It means so much to me. Oh and the correction is 70% better than what it was. I still have a curve but is a lot better. I have lots of pictures to post hopefully will stay awake long enough to put them all on. Love you all

Last night Ashley came over to do my hair for today. I got a really nice shower. I thought my hardware would be longer and Ashley gave me a b12 shot to make me feel better. Sorry you all have to see my undies lol! And hope you don't mind my X-ray photos. Oh and here is one more of me in agony lol cause I was laughing and it hurts to laugh! My mom and Ashley were being bullies! And I put make up on today cause I just really needed some better self esteem. Haha. Oh and everyone loved my walker today. An elderly couple actually asked to take my picture. Lol! I guess maybe I should go into the bedazzling walker business. Dr. Crandall even wanted to take a picture. Lol! Okay I am really done now. Sleep time!! Good night everyone.

YRMC

Well today was eventful.. as most of you know I was shipped off to the hospital again in the ambulance. Probably the most fun ride to the hospital as one can have. Very painful at the same time. I felt every single bump in the road(That darn ambulance suspension). I can't tell you the amounts of pain that would shoot through my spine as we did. And as we were on the worlds bumpiest road the EMT was trying to administer my IV... thanks to the 6 I had in the hospital two weeks ago, my veins weren't exactly cooperative. It was all in vein...... haha see what I did there? lol! Anyways it took 3 tries until they got a successful line in. Then they had to take my blood on the same very bumpy road. They said that wasn't cooperating either... I told them I had none left after I left the hospital 2 weeks ago. They laughed at me and said they could tell. Anyways... I didn't have to take the ambulance but my Dad had called my Uncle Bruce for advice which he had said it would be best to call 911 and let the ambulance take my vitals and then take me to the hospital from there so that I wouldn't have to wait in the ER infected waiting room for hours in extreme amounts of pain. Oh I guess I should explain why I was in pain in the first place (besides the fact that my whole spine was basically fused two weeks ago) Friday morning I had a blackout issue while Raquel was changing my dressing so we started to monitor my blood pressure. It was pretty low but not OMG low... My pain levels were still pretty high and so I talked to my good friend Bunni who has gone through all of this before. She told me to call Sonoran Spine and talk to the on call Dr. to see if there was anything I could do to help with my pain since its continued to be persistently pretty bad.. I was prescribed a couple more meds which my dad picked up first thing saturday morning. I took my regular meds with one of the new ones and just felt like junk the rest of the day Sooo we called Sonoran Spine again and talked to the on call dr. and he ordered me to stop taking all my meds due to my blood pressure... I think at that point it was 84 over 65 so all he said I could have was tylenol. Tylenol!! Well no surprise... rough night with tons and tons of pain! We kept monitoring my blood pressure all through the night and the highest it got to was 91 over 70.. so I called again this morning to see if there was any way I could resume taking my pain killers cause the pain was literally killer!! Again this morning it was at 84 over 65 and the doctor said I had to go to the emergency room. At that point I lost all emotional composure and just sobbed into the phone and the dr. yelled at me because he couldn't understand or hear me and to just go to the ER. Bad bedside manner that dr. Ive been mad at him since yesterday. So since my parentals were at church I asked Jeni to come and take me to the ER and she came over right away. Jeni and Chuck are like my second parents. They were so loving and gentle with me today and jeni just let me cry as she hugged me which felt good. Then she tried to talk some sense into the dr. that yelled at me and he didn't give her the time of day and told us we just needed to go to the ER. So we set off to the ER even though none of us wanted to... when my dad called and told us about uncle bruce saying it would be better to call 911 and do the whole ambulance thing. Lucky thing we had barely just left and promptly turned around. We pulled up the driveway and already heard sirens... My uncle Bruce has a lot of pull when it comes to the fire department and ambulance services even though he is retired fire chief. :)  I am so thankful!!! Sooo my room was swarmed with firefighters and then the EMTs... my blood pressure wasn't that bad at this point... pretty normal actually but I still needed to go to the hospital so I could be evaluated so that I could take my medication again. And I already told you about the ambulance ride so onto the hospital stay... It was nice... I really really needed to pee once we got there and luckily there was a toilet right in the room and the morphine had already kicked in pretty good. There were two nurses in the room with me while I did my business and maybe this is too much information but I could not stop peeing! I felt like I was peeeing for the worlds longest time and so I just started to laugh cause I couldn't stop peeing and both nurses were waiting on me. I just laughed and laughed and they must have thought I was crazy for sitting there peeing laughing and saying sorry over and over again because really I peeeed for sooooooo long!!!! It reminded me of dumb and dumber and how Lloyd peed in the beer bottles forever long!! I still think it is so funny but they gave me the good drugs so that could be why haha!! I am not sure if any of this actually makes sense cause I am so drugged at the moment! Raquel told me she could really tell I was in pain this morning because she said I was like a pregnant woman in labor since I was so mean to her on the phone when I was upset about having to go to the hospital. I forget what I was trying to concentrate on at the moment but it was something important I am sure and had no patience to explain to raquel what was going on... So I am sorry my dear sister.. I really was in so much pain and did not mean to be so mean!! I think I snapped at baby Susan also.. I apologize to you also!! Anyways the hospital fixed me up real good. Gave me better drugs and I have a UTI... my first one ever... I think from the catheter at the hospital. Sorry if thats a lot of info for you all... So as much as I didn't want to go to the hospital today I guess its good I did. I have new antibiotics and really think my blood pressure is now finally under control... I am not allowed to take valium anymore though. Hopefully with the new medicine it won't even be necessary! But I think I have had all I can handle today and must put this book to an end... Just a lot happened today and dont want any of you to worry.. I am home and now back on track to recovery!! And I can shower without glad press and seal now... very excited!!! Thank you everyone for thinking of me today and all the prayers!! I love you all!!!
love,
Candice

P.s. Andy wanted me to let you know something.... but i already forgot.. he said he was trying to heal me with laughter but it hurts to laugh. But he did lift my spirits... or maybe its just the drugs! Oh well thank you andy!! hahaha!

and I am pretty sure I am gonna look like some kind of drug addict with all the needle marks in my arms... My veins have had enough!!!! 

Thank you so much cousin Angie!!! I loved my coffee! It was amazing! First thing I consumed today and it was like heaven!!!

12:30 am

Hey everyone. I am having quite the hard night... Actually it's been quite the day. Everyone keeps telling me I am going to have harder days than others, but doesn't
Make it any easier. I know there are plenty others out there that are having even tougher journeys than I am... So if I may please ask for your prayers for them as well. It's easy to over look all the great things you have in life and forget about all others that need a helping hand and most of all just constant prayer! I love you all and thank you for all your continued concern and prayers for little ol me! I appreciate them more than anything!! love to all!!
Xoxo
Candice

One step at a time

Hello everyone!! I think I am finally ready to have my facebook back... now that I am not seeing double. Well I am still seeing double a lot of the time but it's getting better!! Oh and if you all could see my hair...I think I have the worlds worst bed head!!! I am not joking in the slightest bit! Its awful! Embarrassment to my mom, embarrassment to my dad, embarrassment to my dog.... its just bad... so so so bad!! I need to make my mom help me shower today because I really can't handle it anymore!!! We found glad press and seal works best keeping my incision dry and okay enough to shower. Only a few more days of having to worry about that though! :) OOOOO before I forget since I was speaking of hair earlier... Thank you Raquel for curling it the other day and making it look real nice... even though I have the worst bedhead.... Its still curled and looks decent when I wear my cupcake beanie! You're such a good sister!!! And so Baby susan doesn't get jealous... thank you for washing all the glue out of my hair. I still appreciate that... What great sisters I have!! :) You two are the best!! Ashley took me the other day to get my little piggies painted and my fingers also!! Such a little thing really makes you feel so much better!! :) I've had some great friends come and keep me company and take me on walks... Walking just short distances really tires me out!!! I need to walk though. I feel a lot less stiff once I do! I am ready for the pain part of all of this to end though! Getting in and out of bed is the worst!! Its almost as if I have been sleeping on knives all night long... or day... I tend to sleep a lot these days. I can't help it. I am sure thats just my body trying to heal itself. I wish it would hurry up already!! I have to keep reminding myself that I just had major surgery and these things take time! But I am oh so tired of the pain!! Each day I wake up before I make any sort of movements its almost as if I forget... then I move and am quickly reminded "OWWW OWWW OWWWW okay I have to peee..." and thats my morning hahaha But now it is lunch time and I must eat... I am slowly getting my appetite back... I am constantly telling my mom what sounds good! I am pretty sure I have told her everything from Sushi to ice cream... she must think I am crazy!! But I can't eat and type..(plus my momma usually feeds me lol) this is getting messy so more later!!! Love you all!!!
xoxox
Candice

Uphill battle

hello. Having a bit of a rough day today. I am used to the pain but doesn't make it any easier to endure. I received some pretty flowers from Kelvin today. That really did lift my spirits. I can't believe its already been one week since my procedure. I am waiting for it to get easier now.  My poor momma has had to sleep with me at night to keep me calm. It is just hard to explain how much this all actually hurts. And my dear father has really been a great help also! Anything we should need.. he is off to the store to go get it for us. And he put up my new detachable shower head yesterday.... 2nd shower went much smoother.  I couldn't have been blessed with better parents! I have been shown so much love this past week and I just can't even describe how much it means to me! Joe.. I know you're like a million miles away... but you sure do brighten each one of my days!! I love you tons! Thank you for all the gifts you sent! :)) I am so happy to wake up to even just a text message from you!! Ashley... I look forward to each of your daily visits and appreciate more than you know all that you have done. Thank you for stocking my mini fridge!! You're simply amazing!! Im sorry for keeping you up all night with all my crying a week ago. glad you didn't ditch me then! ;-) But you are such a great best friend and I am so glad to have you in my life! Same goes to you Nick Brown!! Sorry i slept through our facetime call today lol! Johnson family!! You have all been so great!! Jeni... whatever you brought me today really knocked me out!! I can't wait to see if it works tonight! I need a full nights rest!! I think my mom does also!! lol! I am sure there are a bunch of you that I am leaving out... I am not the most coherent so please forgive me. As for the rest of you.. if I may ask for your continued prayers. I love you all and hope to be a little more informative...well happy informative later!! 

love,

Candice  

Home Sweet Home :)

Hey everyone!
Well for those of you who do not know... I have made it home. I am so glad to be here but wow is it hard!! I can't even begin to describe how much pain I am in! I had prepared for a lot of pain before and knew what was coming... I think I was a bit naive! I don't think anyone could have prepared me for this kind of pain. I sit and count... I should say I lay and count the minutes until I can take my next dose of pain killers. Which does not seem to help much anyways, but help is help I guess.. My nights seem to be the longest. Lots and lots of waking up. My dear mother has been such a huge help and has been up all night with me also. She is such a blessing!! I love you momma!! And thankfully Baby Susan and my momma gave me a shower yesterday also. I never thought I would see the day that my own sister and mother would have to bathe me. Talk about a whole new closeness.. I just kept apologizing the whole time. Lol! It was a glorious shower anyways even with the soap that kept getting in my mouth! I do still have glue in my hair though... As long as I don't stink... all those fevers caused me to sweat a ton and then shiver and then sweat... lets just say on top of that and all the surgery junk they put all over me... a shower was much needed!!! I don't have a lot of places i can comfortably sit so I spend most of my time in my bed. My momma feeds me there too. I feel like I am back to infant years!! It's craazy!!!  Today I conquered the stairs. I am writing to you all on my moms mac :) lets hope I can get back to my room!! My idiot brother has been messing with my cable and junk trying to get the tv going. I would just opt to read... but I cant read laying down and would be afraid to drop my book on my face. maybe next week when I am not still seeing double. But I am growing more uncomfortable by the minute... I will hopefully have more to update you all with later on!! I thank you all for all the prayers, gifts, visits, just everything... But I could really feel all of your prayers and I really just can't thank you all enough!!!
xoxox
Candice

Prayers

I am not sure how much of this will make any sense. I am on so many drugs its not even funny. I'm trying to go home early! I have has a fever all night and it may cause me to have to stay longer! Lets hope not. I just want to shower and be in my
Own room!
But here are some pictures of my stay

And here I am

Well we made it to the hospital early! Before the hospital even opened! That's quite the accomplishment for both my dad and I! No concept of time... Definitely belong to the Martinez family! We are getting registered... My dad told them we were white when they asked what race I was. Lol! She said she would hate to assume. I wonder if she really put Caucasian down! Lol! And now we are going through who shall make decisions if I should die! Yikes! Lets hope and pray that doesn't happen! I am so nervous! Well I better stop playing with my phone. Too many questions I need to answer!! I'll check back in before surgery... If not then after! :-) love to all!!
Love Candice

The road to here

Hey everyone! :-) I am currently taking care of all those last minute things I will need before my surgery in just 28 hours! So much to do and time is running out!! I'll get it all done though! :-) I can't help but think back to 5th grade and how I was the only one who went home with a letter the day we had scoliosis checks! I had no idea of the road I was about to embark on. When I first saw an orthopedic doctor my curvature was at 34 degrees. I was ordered to wear a hard plaster brace for 16 hours a day for a year. Oh that brace! I am sure my parents had as much of a headache from that darn thing as I did! Lol! (I sure did complain!) So after my year of what I felt like torture... I went back to the doctor and was told my curvature was now 45 degrees and they would like me to have surgery then. My parents decided it would best to look into other options. I received lots of chiropractic care. I also saw a massage therapist named Carlos.. He was amazing! But I would always complain how much he would hurt me! But I am sure I was his favorite! I would always feel much better after seeing him! It's too bad I can't afford to always see him. As for chiropractic care... For someone with scoliosis it is as if you are doing nothing for yourself at all. I wish we had known that before... I feel I wasted so much time and money on chiropractic care... my parents too! My chiropractor told us she could help stop my curve from progressing.... And here I am at 54 degrees. Lol! It's okay though... I am so glad I have waited until now. I found a great doctor and feel this procedure has come a long way from where it was when my first doctor wanted me to have this surgery. I am so excited that I will soon know what it's like to live pain free! No more back pain! Hip pain! Shoulder pain! numb arms! Headaches! It's exciting! My doctor says I will be fully recovered and can do whatever I would like in a year... We will see about that! :-)
I went to my last appointment before surgery on Friday... My appointment was with Claire.... Dr Crandall's PA :-) she is always so nice! First thing she told me was that I can't lift more than 5 pounds for 6 weeks? I think that's what she said haha but then she told me that a gallon of milk is 8 pounds! Something that I never thought about. I am so sad that I won't be able to pick up my adorable new nephews! They will just have to lay next to me I guess! :-)) she also told me I won't be able to bend for 20 weeks! I have been trying to see what I can do without bending... I am sure going to have difficulty with this one. 20 weeks!! Ahhhh! I still need to get a grabber.. I asked if I could get one of those shark grabber things... She said it wouldn't be strong enough to lift even socks! Lol! So I'll find a good one! Thanks to my cousin krysta I got a pretty sweet walker... Which I must send my apologies dear cousin. I have bedazzled your walker.. It wasn't supposed to be as decked out as it is... But yes.. It is very bedazzled and uhh pink! Should you want it back I will make sure to take off all that junk! Haha! I'm sorry!! But must admit it will turn heads when I am taking my required daily walks! So I hope you don't mind! On that note... I will post pictures of my walker and then try and go to sleep!! I have lots to do in the morning and I'm sure you have all had enough of my ramblings! Goodnight everyone!! Love you guys!!
Love,
Candice

Ps. I may start a walker bedazzling company. If you know anyone that wants one send them my way hahaha!

Also... I am posting so many pictures of my walker because it will change with my mood... I think my favorite mood will be pirate! Lol! :-) and thank you Nick for helping me make my walker the way it is... Krysta.. You can blame him! Haha jk

At Hobby Lobby getting stuff for the bedazzling... haha 

5 Days!!

Hey Everyone!!
I know I have been missing for a while... But I am making a comeback!!! I really am not sure how to do this whole blog thing. You will all have to be patient with me. Sooooooo I have 5 Days until I have my surgery!! For those of you who do not know... I have a 54 degree curvature in my upper spine and a 33 degree curvature in my lower spine. We have tried to stay away from surgery as long as we could, but now have reached a point where I can't even remember the last time I was without pain. My parents and I have decided that it is not a fair way to live and started the process of learning all we could about the procedure before I made any decisions. Thanks to a good friend of mine, I was referred to a great doctor who I have full confidence in. (Thank you Bunni!!) Sonoran Spine has been wonderful!! I will post a video of a demonstration of the surgery for you to see. Don't worry.. its just an animation!! I think it is pretty neat!! I will be made of titanium!! That way I won't have to worry about that darn airport security!! I would really appreciate any and all prayers!! I have a long road ahead of me, but am determined to recover as quickly as possible!! If any of you want to come over and take one of my required daily walks with me just shoot me a text or call me... maybe?
I will be posting in here as often as I can... and posting lots of pictures! I hope none of you have a weak stomach!! lol! Just kidding.. they wont be that bad! So again, please send some prayers my way! I sure do need them!! I would also like to thank all of you who have been so supportive already!! It means so much to me and makes this whole thing so much easier and less scary to go through!! So really, thank you so much!!
Love,
Candice

Here is the link to the Video! Check it out!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztg7hzVgQrw 

And this is an X-ray of my spine. I think its gross lol!!