Teri Parris Ford's Blog

Summer 23 Week #3 Surgery

Most people have heard of a hysterectomy, so when I mention my having surgery that is what I say but there was a lot more to it than that. Here's what my insurance paperwork said I'm getting, "laparoscopic hysterectomy, right and left salpingectomy, sacrocolpopexy, anterior/posterior repair and midurethral sling and cystoscopy." That's quite the list! I had a series of appointments leading up to this surgery with a lot of major decisions I had to make for myself that started with a UTI during the pandemic. This surgery was the most aggressive option out there and I took it. While it had the most risk, it also had the best pay off for my future-- as with a lot of things in life.  

Jim took me at 5:30am to Meriter Hospital and I walked in with nothing but my ID, knowing they would take most of my stuff away anyway, but I missed out on taking photos. As I walked into my pre-op room, there was a big TPF in a circle on the window with my doctor's name underneath, Pennycuff. It really gave me great feelings about the procedure-- no one knew TPF was my nickname! I really trusted my doctor to take good care of me. My nurses and team (there was a room full of people in the operating room) taking care of me all went out of their way to make me feel amazing. Dr. Pennycuff told me last Friday, I had a 50/50 chance of going home with a catheter bag, which I was dreading. I made sure to drink a lot of fluids and keep my eating very light moving up to the surgery. After the procedure, which took 7 hours, I woke up feeling like no time had passed at all and was told I only had a 30% chance of going home with a bag. I was given one hour to completely empty my bladder on my own. After my first try, an ultrasound was taken and I was told I still had 200mg to void and should try again. I asked the nurse what would help and she told me to move around. Monika turned on some Madonna music we had a 15 minute dance party to keep my good vibes going. I emptied my bladder totally and felt pretty proud of myself! I got home around 8pm, sore, but without a bag to carry around- yippie!

I spent my weekend before surgery learning to throw clay with Geof and at the pool with Monika since I have to give up swimming for 6 weeks, which will be the hardest part of my recovery. I have been brewing on a new self portrait that says goodbye to my uterus & tubes and Balt that I'd like to start soon. Between learning to work more with ceramics, teaching summer school, taking care of Jessi's cats, painting a self portrait and just letting my body heal; I will stay pretty busy next month. So far it's been slow going but I can tell things are improving. I have a lot of air in my gut still that is painful at times as it moves around. I've got glue for sutures across my belly in 6 different spots, and I have sutures inside that I can feel and I know will take time to dissolve, so I'll be uncomfortable for a bit but I have the time to give myself. I feel good about the decisions I made and I look forward to feeling even better as my body heals!

Summer 23 Week #2 Sewing

I've made 5 t-shirt quilts now. Not a one is perfect. When I was a little girl I had a crazy quilt my grandma Parris had made and I loved how not perfect it was. I mean super geometric quilts are beautiful but there is something special about a quilt that is put together a bit haphazardly. At least, I like to think so. I made this quilt for Grace this time. She asked for a toddler sized one, so it's a bit shorter than my others. I'm hoping to give it to her as a baby shower gift at the end of the summer. It was my week#2 project. After getting out the sewing machine out, I was able to get a bunch of mending done as well. I finished my first week of summer school and had a bunch of doctors appointments leading up to my surgery next week. Oh, and we are surviving living with 5 cats!

I had a couple blasts from the past this past week with bump intos from my Spring Harbor days. I saw a favorite student fo mine at the mall while shopping for sandals and a fellow specials teacher at the Farmer's Market who had been the PE teacher for all 3 of the girls. I love that the girls all had teachers I worked with throughout middle and high school. It makes for happier connections. Monika also took me to my first SummerFest in Milwaukee. I've wanted to go for years and I finally made it to see Tegan & Sara. It was a late night but a special one. We also made it to the Overture for a concert, so it's been a fun first summer week in Madison. I went to the pool almost everyday.

Summer 23 Week #1 in Virginia

I decided to take each week this summer and do some kind project. I have 10 weeks this summer and spent the first week at Jessi's house. I left Sunday morning, my first free day of summer. Jessi's yard was in desperate need of weeding and mulch. I spent my first day weeding and running errands. I purchased 20 bags of mulch, screen, hammer & nails to fix her back porch, putty and hooks to replace her bathroom towel rack, sparkling water, chicken and spinach salad from Costco to live on. I started or ended each day with a long walk on the beach. The week was glorious. By Thursday I had gotten all of the home projects finished and was able to spend the morning working Summer School curriculum and on Friday I had my first staff meeting and continued to work on Summer School prep. I missed Balt so much but had Jessi's cats to keep me company. Being able to sleep in was pretty nice and not having to worry about him is also very nice. By the end of the week I wasn't looking around for him, or worrying about where he was. It's a very weird feeling. I remember after my mom died always thinking about making time to call her on weekends and then reminding myself I didn't have too. While driving to Jessi's, I kept looking in the back to check on him. I think any time I smell poop, I will think of him though. 

On Saturday morning I packed her cats up and brought them back to Madison with me. They are actually pretty good travelers. The ride back home was perfect, mild weather and light traffic. I took the Penn Turn Pike on the way to Virginia but Waze had me take West Virginia thru Indianapolis back home. Monika had the condo cleaned and was ready to receive Jessi's cats. We will be watching them for the rest of the summer while she is in the Middle East. So although we are missing our dog, we have 5 cats in the house to keep us busy!!

 

 

Baltazar 2010 - 2023

Jessi had wanted a dog for years. I grew up with my mom's dogs but had never had one that was mine. After doing quite a bit of research I realized our family needed a dog. I had read an article about how getting a dog before going through empty nesting was vital and I was sold. We got Baltazar for xmas as a 8 week old puppy. I let Jessi pick him out from a litter of a bunch of black male labs. Balt was the runt-- so tiny, you could hold him in one hand. He changed the dynamic of our family and saved me when everyone left home. For many years it was just the two of us and he was my best friend. He taught so much about life and love. I am indebted to him for showing me what it was to love unconditionally, for making me learn how to weather Wisconsin cold and showing me how to enjoy just sitting. He was such a lover.

I was told in December it was time to put Balt down and I put it off as long as I could. The last week of his life was uncomfortable. I knew he was in a lot of pain and that certainly made it easier. I selfishly just kept giving him more pain medication to keep him comfortable but alive. I loved coming home to his face, his furry, lovable, one-eyed face. Oh, how much I will miss him. When climbing stairs became too difficult for him, he would bark out for me anytime I went up or down stairs and he noticed I wasn't around. I would always yell back at him where I was. Sometimes that was enough, but sometimes, he'd keep barking to let me know he needed me, either to go out, or to come get him. I'd often help him up or down stairs so he could be with me while I did whatever it was I doing. He became more and more difficult to care for and I know he hated that I had to often clean up after his accidents. I finally made an appointment for him that I did not cancel-- the last day of school. We used Journeys End, a home pet euthanasia team that will come to your home and offer an end of life experience that is very humane and kind. Dr. Wehrwein, the vet who attended him, was amazingly sweet. She gave him some cheese whiz, something he'd never had before. After a lot of hugs and pets, Balt left us in peace, sitting in our yard surrounded by those who loved him most. Jessi is in the Middle East and could not join us but she was with us in spirit. After, we all helped carry him into a car to be taken away (his ashes will be spread on a local farm), Erika, Monika and I sat in the yard telling stories of his life and remembering how much he touched our lives. Balt loved to sit in the front yard and look out at the busy life going by, enjoying the grass or snow or cold ground underneath him.  

Balt can not be replaced and he will always hold a very special place in our family. For photos of Balt, I made a Google album for Jessi here. If you knew Balt, then you know how lovable he was and that he was loved very much.

They're freckles!

It's been very warm in Madison and wonderful pool weather. I had several students come in to school this past week with sunburns and blisters. In one of my classes we were all talking about getting a lot of sunshine and how it affected us. I mentioned that I got freckles and showed off my leg full of freckles. I've been wearing skirts to work lately, no more shorts for me. One student informed me that they were called age spots and I took offense! No way, they're freckles, I exclaimed!!! But now I realize, for the first time in life that I think my student was right. Oh my. 

We got the yearbook distributed on Thursday and the complaints started rolling in shortly there after. Missing students who were not allowed in the book were very upset to be excluded, as I expected. Luckily I send emails to both students and parents warning them of the situation and am able to send copies of the emails I sent but it doesn't really make any one feel better about the situation. Several students whose old "dead" names were listed with their photo instead of their new, changed name were very hurt by the situation. I emailed the school psychologist to help me come up with a new process to make sure we don't have the same issues next year. I noticed a FB thread of a bunch of teachers making fun of all the mistakes in the staff section, noting that kid who did it should be required to go to summer school. The funny part is that I did the staff section and now I'm embarrassed by all the typos (I spelled chemistry wrong and it wasn't a typo). The book I had hoped would be closer to perfection, was not. There are tons of mistakes but all so minor (so far). I'll take lots of misspelled words over leaving a kid out of the senior who was supposed to be in there or an inappropriate caption (both issues I have dealt with in the past). I have to learn not to take it all so personally.

Friday was the senior picnic and a surprisingly, I had a few seniors in my class who were not allowed to go due to attendance issues. They came to may class and got work done! Over the weekend I made it to the pool both mornings to get laps in. I got shopping done, errands, laundry, vacuuming and misc housework done. I finished Queen Charlotte on Netflix and went to my first grad party of the season!