I got off work early last Wednesday, because of the snow.  We were so slow at work, they told me I could go home if I wanted to, even though I had only been there for an hour.  Of course I took that opportunity.  I got 2 loads of laundry done, made the bed, vacuumed, scrubbed the bathooms and copied off some recipes for Angeline.

Last Saturday was my birthday.  I got a few things done, but I didn't have much to do.  Dave's mom came over, and she brought me a shamrock shake and some Leprechaun decorations.  My mom brought me a card with some money in it.  My sister-in-law and brother called me.  When Dave came home from work, he had red roses for me.  Dave and Cameron went to the father & son banquet with my dad that night, and my mom helped serve, so that left Emily and me home by ourselves.  We painted our fingernails and toenails, and we watched some movies.  When Dave came home, he asked me if I wanted anything to eat.  I wanted a sub from Sheetz, so he went and got that for me.  About 2 minutes after he left, I heard the door opening, and I thought he must have forgotten something, because it was not possible for him to be back already.  It was my mom!  She brought me some leftovers from the father & son banquet!  She brought me a tub of applesauce, some pretty big containers of mashed potatoes and salisbury steak, and a gallon and a half of milk!!  I had free lunches for a few days!

On Sunday, my friend Steve gave me an envelope full of money.  I guess a lot of the people at work had pitched in to give me some money for my birthday!!  I bought a new phone with some of my money.  We really needed one.  I think I am going to use the rest for tomato cages and some things I need.  I started to learn to count the registers on Sunday also.  It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be.  I actually kind of enjoy it. 

Tuesday was our shopping day.  I gave myself a big challenge--to see if I could spend $28 or less!!  I actually started shopping Monday night, because we had some good deals at work.  I got some BIG bags of pasta for 70 cents, and a few other things.  So when Tuesday came, I didn't have quite $28 left...  We went to Martin's first.  I REALLY don't like that store OR the cashiers, so I don't go there very often.  And after this time, I don't know if I'll be back at all!  I went through the line a few times.  They had a special on General Mills cereal--buy any 4, and get $6 off your order.  It takes the $6 right off.  So I loaded up my cart and went to the self-checkout.  First i bought 4 boxes of Count Chocula.  It came to $7.76, then took off the $6, making it $1.76.  I used a coupon for $1.50 off of 3 General Mills cereals, making my total 26 cents!!  I did this 3 times.  Then I rang up 4 boxes of Disney cereals, and my total was $7.28.  After the $6 came off, it was $1.28.  I had coupons for 50 cents off of Disney cereals, but they didn't double like they were suposed to.  That was no big deal, though, because I did this 2 times, and paid 28 cents each time.  Dave and the kids go through a LOT of cereal, so I bought as much as I had coupons for!  The lady at the self-checkout wasn't going to let me go through the 5th time, but she decided I could go ahead.  Then I went to the customer service desk to get a raincheck.  They had Scott toilet paper for $1 a pack.  But there was none in that aisle.  The customer service lady said they moved it over by produce so they could order more.  So my mom and I both went over.  I got 10 packs.I had a 75 cent coupon, some $1 coupons and some 35 cent coupons.  I rang up all the toilet paper, and then started on the coupons.  The lady came running over and said, "You can't double all these coupons!"  So she opened up the machine, took our coupons out, and re-did our orders.  I still only paid $4.55 for 10 packs of toilet paper, so I did good.  I made up a little goodie bag for Dave's mom with a pack of toilet paper and some cereal.  Next, we went to CVS.  I got Cameron a pack of peanut butter cups so my ECBs would come out.  Then I did my real shopping. I spent 7 cents.  I got a bag of Whopper robin eggs, a Listerine mouthwash, a Vaseline cocoa butter lotion, a Life Fitness energy gum, an 8-pack of Irish Spring soap, 2 irish Spring body washes, 2 pocket packs of CVS tissues, and 5 tubes of Colgate Total Advance toothpaste.  I have $24 in ECBs in my account now, lus $7 I didn't use last week.  My care was getting inspected, so Dave went and got it and took it to my mom and dad's house for me to pickup after we went to the grocery store.  It was $150!  Next, we went to Giant Eagle.  I spent $15.42.  I got a box of Froot Loops (like I need more cereal), 2 bags of Easter M&Ms, a Pillsbury refrigerated brownie dough, 7 cans of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, a loaf of bread, 2 packs of Tic Tacs, 3 packs of orbit gum, a container of Coffee-Mate, and a gallon and a half of milk.  I had a raincheck for the cinnamon rolls, and I will be sending in for a rebate on the brownies.  I ended up with $4 left from my challenge!!  When we got home, Dave's friend Steve came over and I did his taxes for him.  And the guy called with an estimate for the roof--$3750.  I will have to save as much money as I can now..  I will have to challenge myself every week!

In themail lately I have gotten 4 magazines, a birthday card and some money from my grandmother, a skincare sample from Youth Complex, a coupon for free Coffee-Mate, a Proctor and gamble mailer full of coupons, a Reynold's slow cooker liner and coupon, a birthday card from my brother and his family, a ruler, 8 stamps from a coupon trade, a fanny pack full of stuff--a padlock, some child-safety cabinet locks, etc., a recipe booklet from Libby's, and some Pantene samples.

On Thursday morning, very early (about 3:30), I got a pain in my side and back.  It wasn't too bad at first, so I thought I just needed some more room.  Cameron came to bed with us, and sometimes I get cramped up if I can't move.  So I took him out to the couch, and got a drink of chocolate milk, then I went back to bed.  But no matter which way I turned, it kept getting worse.  Dave woke up, I think because I kept getting up and laying down, and sitting up.  He said, "What's wrong."  I said, "Nothing," but he knew I was in pain.  By this time I was in tears.  He told me he was taking me to the hospital whether I wanted to go or not.  SO he got the kids dressed, and by that time, he had to help me get dressed, because I couldn't even bend over to get my socks and shoes on.  I kept my pajama pants on, I just put on a less see-through shirt.  When we walked outside, I threw up in the yard 4 times.  I hurt so bad on the way to the hospital...  So we got there, and they had me change into a gown, which was not fun.  After that, Dave took the kids out to the waiting room.  A lady came to get some blood for testing, and she had trouble with my veins.  I told her they roll sometimes, but she said she didn't want to hear that.  She couldn't get much blood, so she took the needle out and tried another vein.  She still didn't get much, but another lady came in and told her she got enough.  Thank God, because she was going to try my hand next!!  They sent me to the bathroom for a urine sample, and I threw up 7 or 8 more times while I was in there!  Then I waited and waited.  Then the nurse came in and gave me a shot of pain medicine (right in the butt!!).  Another lady came and got me in a wheelchair, and took me up to get a CAT scan of my abdomen.  Then I waited some more...  When the doctor finally came in, he told me that I have a kidney stone, and a cyst on my liver.  They gave me a strainer to pee in and told me to call my family doctor.  They also gave me a doctor's excuse not to go to work for a few days.  So when we got home (6:30), we went back to bed.  The kids were wide awake, though.  They had been the whole time, and when I got out of the ER, they were eating junk out of the vending machines and watching cartoons.  So I called off work later, and then I called the doctor.  The nurse there said she'd call me back a little later.  She called back a LOT later, but she told me that they don't think this kidney stone is going anywhere, and I need to see a urologist.  I go on Monday.  I went to work yesterday, even though I wasn't supposed to, so they put me at the front register and told me not to do anything but stand there and ring people up.  I did ok, although I had a few painful moments.  Dave stayed home because him and his brother-in-law were putting our new heating oil tank in.  They told me not to drive because of the medicine, but my dad said it never affected him.  I'm glad I didn't drive, though, because it made me so sleepy that I COULD NOT keep my eyes open, and I got dizzy while I was at work.  I am anxious to go to the doctor on Monday...

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Posted by lerdman4

Oh boy Michele, I hope you are feeling better. I didn't know you get sick from a kidney stone. My cousin and her husband both had that and they were in so much pain that they gave him a shot of morhpine. But they never mentioned getting sick.
I was excited reading your blog about your shopping spree, GOOD JOB by the way, but sad to read the rest. You are a super shopper, and I love reading about it.
I hope you are feeling much better, and what did the doctor say??

Lisa

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