Manic MONDAY!

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

Jax, just saw your message. I was in crest hill, joliet, plainfield, and shorewood. Just doing some outside sales for the bank. what intersection is your store at?

[Laveau 67]

Good Morning MENA. I'm here at work extremely sleepy. I stayed up too late. Starting back on my "diet" today. I ate way more than necessary the past several days. Anyone else seriously focused on losing a few pounds? I want and I shall buy a new swimsuit this week.

Edited July 13, 2009 by Shal

[Muh and me 18]

Morning Mena! Stayed home from work today, head is pounding really bad and I feel crappy! Hope you all have a good day!

[R and F 34]

Morning all. Farid and I went to see "Drag me to Hell", whata funky movie. Really scary and silly also.

Anyway, hope everyone has a great day. We are preparing for our semi-annual Elvis festival on August 15th. It will be so much fun.

[a1angied 0]

Hello all.

Kelly and Melly congrats on the paper and apartment!

Jax it looks good but I still can't have anything like that. Oh well. Hope you enjoy!

Jess glad that tiem is flying by and that you will be in NY very soon.

Sara hope your day is awesome.

Amanda I remember the feeling, you will get to hold him when you walk in the door. Yeah!

Nagi hope all is well.

To everyone else I didn't mention have an awesome day and God bless to all.

Oh yeah we got the email that the 10 year GG will be sent within 30 days

[Melly 2 0]

Hello all.

Kelly and Melly congrats on the paper and apartment!

Jax it looks good but I still can't have anything like that. Oh well. Hope you enjoy!

Jess glad that tiem is flying by and that you will be in NY very soon.

Sara hope your day is awesome.

Amanda I remember the feeling, you will get to hold him when you walk in the door. Yeah!

Nagi hope all is well.

To everyone else I didn't mention have an awesome day and God bless to all.

Oh yeah we got the email that the 10 year GG will be sent within 30 days

I keep meaning to congratulate you on your weight loss. It's tough no matter how you do it! Good job.

And congrats on the 10 year card.

Sara, we need some new baby pics! Your girl is so adorable.

Sharifah, it is in Giza area? Going on Sudan Street towards Faisel Street - after you go over the bridge and start onto Faisel Street, it's there on the left!

I hope Tasha's son is doing well from his surgery! Does anyone know?

Oh yeah, and congrats to Kelly on the paper! I hope you do as well on your next one!

Edited July 13, 2009 by Melly 2

[a1angied 0]

Hey everybody! I feel like I never get on here anymore to post. Well, today started out like a craphole but right now things are ok. I went out shopping with mom and had a nice time and Mal was great! As long as he had an icee in his hand he kept his mouth quiet.

Tomorrow my 9 year old son is having surgery. Those on FB, sorry for the duplicate posts. Well, he was born with a cleft lip and palate and his upper lip has been drawing up and his nose looking more flat since he has really started growing older. They are going to do what they call an 80% lip and nose separation and revision. Basically, this means they will reopen the scar from the lip to the nose and around his nose hole and laser all of the old thick scar tissue away. They will try and lift the edge of his nose and make his lips and nose more symmetrical. He is anxious and scared. Three years ago he had a very painful bone graft placed in his mouth so he remembers the pain well. Out of his other 9 surgeries he remembers none of this but this one. So, if you wouldn't mind, say a prayer for my little guy tomorrow. His surgery is at 930am Eastern time at Children's of Cincinnati. I would appreciate it very much.

Have a blessed evening!

Hope everything is well with your son and that you are holding up ok.

Thanks Melly I lost 22 lbs the first month and so I am trying my best to stay on track. It is hard when you can't really eat and you have to sip drinks but i am looking for the end results. The 10 GG wow when I started this process I didn't think that the time would fly by as it has and I am at this stage.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Well it sounds like good news all around for a MENA Monday except for Amanda's blue and Terrie's got a headache.

The good news here is that our AC was fixed today! The bad news is Waleed asked if I'd seen a mouse in the house cause his shoe laces were chewed on. I said maybe that happened while he was in Cairo because I haven't seen anything.

I did hear something that is a real internal struggle for me though. Last night there was this cat meowing. It sounded like a kitten and it was the kind of cry that you knew was for distress. I wanted to help it but the sound was coming for the door man's quarters which has a courtyard in between it that our bedroom window overlooks. I couldn't go wandering in the dark last night without a flash light and being alone much less knocking on the doorman's door to ask someone in English who only spoke Arabic about the the crying cat. With the a/c broke, and the heat, and the crying cat outside I couldn't sleep. In fact I still haven't slept yet in over 24 hours and that's not for lack of trying. By the time the sun came up I heard the last few exasperated cries of the kitten as if it was screaming it's last breath for help. It was heart wrenching. I looked out the bedroom window over the cluttered trashy courtyard area used as a storage area too see if I could locate it by site. I was afraid I may see a mangled old cat that was got by the street dog and left. I couldn't see it and then my eyes scanned over the endless other territory it might be which is 6 story construction project just beyond the perimeter of our building and I know that one there was no way I could go into that hazard area without risking life and limb and two the cats cries were almost gone and my search may be over before it began. I was torn between my own love for animals and the knowledge of knowing how people see these street cats and dogs here. I thought if I could rescue it and it had some fatal disease what could I do for it really. I didn't have the heart to put it out of it's misery. There are no shelters here for these kinds of animals and I have no general knowledge of how to care for or help an injured wild animal to this region. Waleed is always telling me not to pick up or touch them as much as I want to because they are carriers of disease here but they let the cat population thrive because it keeps the rat population down. He would think I was nuts for bringing the creature into the home to care for it and it may even bring shame on building for the crazy foreign girl has a street cat in her rented apartment. These animals are not loved here like from where we come from. I told Waleed about it and he listened to me and tried to explain the perception here that this was the street cat way of life and it is expected and why do I think no one else in the whole building who could here it helped it. I was at the point of acceptance with my internal struggle to let nature take it's course without intervention when I was in the bathroom later that afternoon and I hear the faintest cries from the cat for a few moments and then it was gone. It could have been any other cat but I don't think so. Then I remembered the bones of a cat skeleton I found behind the silo on my Grandpa's farm and wondered if that would become of this cat too.

[Nothing1234 2]

Happy Monday MENA

Amanda...>I have been there girl. No worries...he will start working and all will be good. YOu have weekends.

Terry, feel better...you need to get those massive headaches checked on girl!

Olivia...I love ur heart girl! Try and chalk it up to the "cycle" of life. Good luck trying to save the population there that is so out of control plus getting anyone to understand our view on it. My gf has a Ghandi quote on her page that I think you'd like and fits this very situation: The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. Or her quote to that is: The greatness of a nation, through its judicial process can be judged by the way its mistreated animals are vindicated. Can you tell she's an animal rights gal?

There are much bigger issues to address than their animals in my opinion. Actually what they really need is a goverment that would care more for the education, well-being, healthcare and such of the entire human population there in Egypt not just the wealthy...everyone.

[Aymsgirl 0]

Hey everybody! My son is home, safe and resting. He looks so different! The doctor warned us that his face would change dramatically and it did. His nose is now pudgy like his sisters and his lips are perfectly straight. The doc said probably not any more surgeries on his lip but his nose may need a tuck possibly before his late teens when he is to get a rhinoplasty.

He was very anxious this morning. They normally give the kiddies a kiddy cocktail with versed and tylenol in it. Well my little guy is allergic to the versed. He wasn't given anything and everytime somebody would come into the room he would freak out. They took his father and I into the anesthesia induction room and it was a freaking nightmare. It took 4 people to just hold his arms and legs down, a doctor holding his head and another to keep the gas mask on his face. We tried to let him do it but as soon as he felt weird or strange he would throw it off. Let me tell you, spit was spit, punches were thrown, big pinches were given and a few good kicks in the chest before he was under. It was heartbreaking but thank God it is over with!!!! We do have to go through this next month again for another procedure he has to have but I am hoping that I can get his pediatrician to give him valium or something to calm his nerves before we even leave the house.

I just want to say thanks to everybody who remembered him. It means a lot for my family. God bless.

[Nothing1234 2]

Hey everybody! My son is home, safe and resting. He looks so different! The doctor warned us that his face would change dramatically and it did. His nose is now pudgy like his sisters and his lips are perfectly straight. The doc said probably not any more surgeries on his lip but his nose may need a tuck possibly before his late teens when he is to get a rhinoplasty.

He was very anxious this morning. They normally give the kiddies a kiddy cocktail with versed and tylenol in it. Well my little guy is allergic to the versed. He wasn't given anything and everytime somebody would come into the room he would freak out. They took his father and I into the anesthesia induction room and it was a freaking nightmare. It took 4 people to just hold his arms and legs down, a doctor holding his head and another to keep the gas mask on his face. We tried to let him do it but as soon as he felt weird or strange he would throw it off. Let me tell you, spit was spit, punches were thrown, big pinches were given and a few good kicks in the chest before he was under. It was heartbreaking but thank God it is over with!!!! We do have to go through this next month again for another procedure he has to have but I am hoping that I can get his pediatrician to give him valium or something to calm his nerves before we even leave the house.

I just want to say thanks to everybody who remembered him. It means a lot for my family. God bless.

Thank god he's home and ok. I think its a good idea to talk w/ the pediatrician for his nerves next month. I'm sure he was scared to death...poor little guy.

[Nagishkaw 510]

a1angied, yep all is well...except my health. They found tiny cysts on my liver, a huge fibroid on the uterus, and of course the ever present chronic kidney disease ( the left kidney is much smaller now ) which I have 2 big stones in the left and 2 small ones in the right.

How are you doing? It is nice to see you posting.

[Melly 2 0]

Tasha, glad to hear that the surgery went well, even if it was tough getting him under. Insha'Allah he'll heal quickly.

Do you think he'll feel any different about the surgery next time if this one didn't hurt as much as the last one?

I hope you can find a solution to make it easier on him.

And Nagi, take care!!

It is blessedly cooler this evening with a nice breeze, alhamdulillah.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Thanks, Melly...you too!

[a1angied 0]

Nagi I am doing wonderful thanks for asking and my prayers are with you and all that you are enduring. May God bring healing upon you.

Tasha I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that and your son wow. I was praying fo ryou and him and will continue so that the healing and comfort will come upon all of you.

Olivia, wow I could feel your pain and worry, you are wonderful at expressing your thoughts and feelings.