Ch-ch-ch-changes...

Yesterday I came to the realization that in sixty days, I would be arriving in COS. Scared? Excited? I think that I'm feeling a little bit of both emotions.  I hadn't put much thought into the timing.  It was a date that loomed in the distant future.  It was a date that seemed so unattainable.  Yet, it's within reach now.  I can't wrap my head around it.  

I'm preparing to say good-bye to my life here.  It will be hard to say good bye to the friends that I've made.  The friends who have stood by me through the good times and the bad.  To the friends that have been there when the rest of the world seemed to forget about me.  It's a community.  A community with something in common.  A community where we sometimes feel like the red-headed stepchildren of the world.

I will miss being here for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and any other reason we find to celebrate.  I don't want to replace that... I don't want to find another group of friends that will take the place of what I have here. 

The last four years have taught me a lot.  It has taught me a lot about myself and the life that I knew.  It's taught me to step out of the comfort zone and embrace something new and challenging.  And, it's with that knowledge and those skills that I know I can make this move.  It's the strength in friendships that won't die just because I'm moving thousands of miles away.

I'm ready to embrace the change.  Bring it on!

North Shore Adventures.

Yesterday we had an "adventure" day.  Adventure days start with the question, "right or left." Once the direction is planned, the rest is fairly spontaneous.

We started the day with breakfast at Subway; I love their egg sammies! We dropped off our donation goodies at the Airmen's Attic and picked up a few pieces of "winter clothing" for our upcoming move to Colorado Springs.  After the Airmen's Attic run, we put gas in the car and started our adventure.

We took a drive up H2, passing Schofield Barracks and taking the scenic route.  We followed Kam Hwy all the way out to Ka'Ena Point.  We had never been there.  It has an awesome view; it's definitely not a swimming beach. I took some pictures of the kidlets; I took some pictures of the ocean.  It was great fun.

We hit the Farmer's Co-op in Waialua. Fresh local fruit? Yes, please! We picked a bunch of apple banans, limes, garlic and ginger root.  All for less than $8. 

After the Farmer's Co-op, we hit Matsumoto's in Hale'iwa for shave ice.  Yummy!

We followed along the North Shore drive. Waimea, Shark's Cove, Turtle Bay and Kahuku.  We had lunch at Kahuku Grill.  They have amazingly yummy, awesome, fantastical burgers.  Big.  Tasty.  Full of delightful goodness.  And don't get me started on the fries!

We finished the drive by taking H3.  It was a wonderful day and we were all tired after.

It's coming along.

This week we sold Travis' car.  That is one more thing off of the to-do list.  The movers have done a run-through of the house.  The animals have been updated with the vet.  It's all coming together.  OMG.  It's really real now.

A late update.

On Friday the 15th, I had a followup appointment with the ENT at Tripler.  The incision was healing perfectly; Travis took very good care of the incisions for me.  The surgical sponges were still in the ear to put pressure on the healing eardrum.  All in all, the doctor was rather impressed with the progress of healing.  The patch on my arm has healed quite nicely as well.  It's a bit itchy now but I think that's normal.  I have another appointment tomorrow to get the remaining surgical sponge removed as well as any sutures that have not come out on their own.

I was quite nervous about the entire ordeal, but, overall I am pleased that I did go through with it.

Fun at the Splash Park

Summer is in full swing here on the Rock.  It's been hot; it's been humid.  We're all a little bit uncomfortable from the heat and humidity; I'm uncomfortable from having ear surgery.  On Wednesday, we needed to get out of the house.  Cassi had just arrived.  Lo had her 18 month appointment.  I think that we were all getting a bit stir crazy.

We were invited to an impromptu get together at the Splash Park here on Hickam.  It's been hit or miss whether the Splash Park is operating to its full potential.  That's been a bone of contention amongst the residents.  I was pleasantly surprised with it.  It was working.  And, the kids had a LOT of fun.  I think that they got a little too much sun.  It was fun nonetheless.  And, it reiterated that Lola is a waterbaby!

Here are a few snapshots from the day:

In the final months.

It's June and we are set to PCS off the island as of 01 September.  We've been here for nearly four years and I feel like I still have SO MUCH TO SEE! It doesn't help that I spent most of the first year here being mopey about things out of my control.  As they say, hindsight is 20/20.

I'm trying to pack so many adventures into this last summer.  I need to make a bucket list of the sights that are most essential.  I need to decide what to give away to the Airmen's Attic. It's so overwhelming and I don't really know where to start.  It's frustrating.

Time to enjoy Hawaii. <3

On the mend.

In 2008, shortly after I arrived in Hawaii, I got an ear infection.  It seemed innocent enough.  I didn't have health insurance (long story, don't judge) so I treated it the best way I could: heat and pressure.  It didn't get better (of course) but I had no choice but to continue with that treatment until I was married and had health insurance.

In September/October 2009, I went to the doc and got some antibiotics and a referral to the ENT.  The ENT saw the infection and told me that it could be bacterial or it could be fungal and that she would treat it for both.  Well, it wasn't bacterial.  But, it wasn't fungal either.  What exactly was going on with my ear?  She cleaned out the wax and found that I had a perforation on the right eardrum.  She told me "Eh, this could heal itself.  Let's give it some time." So, I did.  Two years.  I gave it two years.  I think that might have been too much time.  Life got busy.  I got pregnant.  I had a baby.  I put the ear issue on the back burner.

Fast forward to Spring 2011.  The ear is still giving me issues.  It's bad enough that the pressure from the eustachian tubes is causing migraines.  I can't stand it anymore.  I make an appointment with my PCM so that I can get a referral for the ENT (again) and my PCM loads me up with antibiotics saying it's a sinus infection.

I visit the ENT on my birthday (4-16) and he says "Yes, the hole is still there." He wants me to get a C/T scan that was requested by my PCM.  He agrees with the Flonase prescription but says I don't really need the Zyrtec.  He wants to follow up in 4 weeks to see how things have progressed.

The C/T scan revealed no abnormalities. It would be a waiting game until my f/u appointment with the ENT.  I also had to get an audiogram. The audiogram revealed hearing loss consistent with a perforated ear drum.  It was hopeful that a tympanoplasty would correct this hearing loss.

At the f/u appointment, I decided that surgery was indeed the best option for me. I was hopeful that it would correct the hearing loss and that it would also cut down the fluid intake if there was no hole to compete with.  And, like that, within three weeks the surgery was scheduled.

I met with my surgeon.  He found ANOTHER hole on my eardrum.  WTHeck?! How does that even happen? He explained the procedure and that he would likely take a skin graft from my bicep to reconstruct the eardrum.

I went about my business.  I traveled to MN as was originally planned.  I enjoyed my time with family. And, when I got home, the surgery was scheduled for June 7th.

On the day of surgery, I checked in at 0700 as was requested.  I was bumped, twice.  Finally, at 1145, I was prepped and ready to go back.  It took a full three hours to reconstruct the eardrum, make the ear canal bigger and clear away A LOT of scar tissue.

Recovery has been harder than I expected.  I'm tired.  I'm weak.  I can't lift anything heavy.  I find myself getting tired just from walking up the stairs.  I want to nap all the time.  It's getting better and I have a follow up on Friday the 15th so I'm hoping that the ear pressure I've got will be addressed.  I'm on several antibiotics.  It's wracking my digestive system.  This will be worth it.  I keep telling myself that.