Varolo: I'm just starting

Signed up Varolo. Ready to start reviewing
I am pretty bored right now and found Varolo through my friend. I did some research on it and it looks legit. I'll try it out for a month or two and let you know how it goes. I asked a few friends to join too so we can get together and discuss our experiences and give all of you a better review from different viewpoints.

Join me and help my Varolo reviews
If you aren't signed up and want to join me, I only ask a few things. Sign up under me (the link will open in a new window) and try it out. Then email me as you have an opinion or thought about Varolo, how it works, the ads or anything else for the site. If you don't want your name used in my review updates, don't worry! Unless you specifically say that I can use your name, I won't.

I'll help your Varolo village too
If you join and give me feedback to add to the reviews, I'll add your village link so people can sign up under you too.

What is Varolo?
So far, I know it's free (I won't pay for anything). It's a site where you watch ads and rate them. I've watched ads from Swiffer, Cherry Dr Pepper, The Ladder, AT&T (now that one was funny!) and Target. I rated them too. Each time you watch an ad and rate it, you are entered into a jackpot for the week. And when your friends watch videos, you get paid a little bit for them watching it...

It's the pyramid thing that makes me skeptical but so far I have heard all good things about Varolo. Including the fact that you can cancel your account at anytime and they don't spam you.

What I want to Review
So far I have no spam in my email. I've watched 6 ads and I've piddled around on the Varolo site. I want to update weekly on how it's going, whether or not I got spam, what the ads are like, what my cohorts think and their opinions and whether it's really worth it.

So who is with me?

I figured it'll give me something to do while I wait for my next appointment.

Epidural Steroid Injection... DONE!

My friend drove me to Kalispell through snow, ice and gusting winds in near whit out conditions to get me to my appointment for my epidural steroid injection (Aren't friends awesome!) on Monday.

I checked in at 10:15 a.m. and they took me to the back where they had comfy recliners for me and the other patients to chill in until it was time for poking and prodding. I sat there waiting and tried to doze off but my back was really hurting; which made that impossible.

When it was my turn to go back, I was expecting that it would be quick (15 minutes) and like the epidural I had with my kids, a little uncomfortable but okay. I was warned by a couple of people that it could hurt but that wasn't usual. So I was semi-prepared for whatever they were about to do to me.

I crawled up onto the table and laid on my stomach on a pillow (so my back would arch). I had my face down in a massage pillow looking thing. It was like a donut with a cover over it and I got to stare at the floor (and the nurses cool shoes!) for the rest of it. My arms were on these arm rests thingies and I was all ready to go. They hooked me up to a blood pressure cuff and an O2 monitor.

Next the nurse washed my back with iodine and then the doctor got all ready to go. They had an x-ray machine so they could exactly where they were placing the needle and tube and whatever else they wanted to check out with it.

Now, let me take a moment to remind you all, this is USUALLY painless. Uncomfortable, yes. Painful, not usually. Let me also remind you, I am not usual.

The doctor warned me that I would feel a sting. That was the numbing medicine going in. And the rest of it should have been just pressure... I wish. Instead, I was in such severe pain that I was sobbing and my blood pressure shot up to 160/113. It felt like the doctor was shoving a pick axe through my spine and pulling my leg muscles out the hole. It was the most horrendous pain I have ever felt. I would rather give birth to an elephant through my nostrils than do that again.

The part was quite interesting. While I was sobbing and dripping snot ropes on the floor, the doctor said he was injecting the meds (both the corticosteroid and the lidocaine). At that point... I have never been so aware of my left butt cheek and thigh. They felt like led appendages. I could sort of, kind of feel them but not really... and then the INTENSE burning! HOLY SHIT-BALLS! I thought I was in pain before... HA! This was horrible! I felt intense burning, sharp stabbing and I think I actually tasted my stomach that day. It subsided rather quickly once the tube was out.

The nurse then put pressure on my back to stop the bleeding (I had a tube shoved in there, it's gonna bleed!) and I finally begged her to quit touching my back. I couldn't take any more. I took a moment to calm down and then she helped me sit up and get into the wheel chair. they took me back to the recliner. I was so nauseous I thought I was going to redecorate the recovery room with a stomach acid rinse.

They gave me apple juice, applesauce and a cheese stick to eat and put a cool wet cloth on my forehead. The pain went back to about where it was when I first came in and my blood pressure went back to normal. My O2 was fine. My left butt cheek and leg were numb and I could barely move them. They said that was normal. Eventually they came back. My leg was heavy but I could feel it.

The doctors and nurses were so apologetic. They felt really bad because this reaction (the pain and all) is not normally how it goes. I was fine with it. I mean, if it helps, it'll be worth it. If not, then at least we tried... but dang! I am NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! At least not without sedation first.

I am home now. The first day was awful. The best part was having all my help here. I wouldn't have survived without them. My legs kept going numb, I could barely walk at times and the pain meds they gave me knocked me out a lot. I projectile vomited that night and I felt like I was going die by the time I went to bed.

Yesterday was a little better. My legs started a new thing... they burn intensely, like they are on fire, for about a minute, then they go all tingly and numb-ish. Then it clears up. My crotch is numb as hell still and I have random moments of waves of "coolness" that starts in my back and runs down my entire bottom half of my body. Not that I mind that one, it's a nice change from Satan's inferno on my legs and crotch.

Today, my back still hurts but not as intensely. I didn't have to take any pain pills until about 11:00 a.m. I managed to do a little housework (I cleaned the kitchen table WOOHOO!) and that was about it. Now I am crocheting and blogging.

I'll keep updating as the week goes on. I figure this is supposed to be the turning point where it gets progressively better so I am excited. I am looking up! It better get better now! I didn't go through THAT for nothing!

Quick update for those of you asking

I did call about my bowel incontinence with my back pain. I updated my work comp blog (warning: foul language is used on that blog. I don't keep family friendly language over there... I use it to vent too.) You can read the post over there.

The short version: Doctor's office called. They made an appointment for me to see a GI doc. That will be a huge waste of money as it's not my poop factory going wrong. Work comp won't approve it anyway... so apparently, it's not an emergency to anyone else.

Sorry guys, I did listen. I tried. I don't know what else to do. Thanks for the concerns though... I feel so loved. Sometimes I sit and think about it and it just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Usually there isn't much reply when I post. Lily always replies (HI LILY!) and I get comments from friends during phone calls, a few text messages and an email or two. Not all on one post. But at least I know someone is reading. Then I post about bowel incontinence, almost as an afterthought, near the end of a post... and DANG! I have more people emailing me with concern and links that I knew read my blog begging, asking and demanding that I go to the doctor and sending links and love. I felt so... loved, such compassion... I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. You guys are awesome!

Thanks guys... I love you all too :)

The Duggars are Pregnant Again?

Wow. So, I was reading the Google news and saw that the Duggars are expecting child #20. My thought is that if the world ever ends as we know it, their family alone could repopulate the earth. I say go for it. Sure, there is the whole overpopulation thing to worry about. But, I get so irritated when people don't celebrate a special life coming into the world just because

• The mom is a teen
• The mom is single
• The mom is disabled
• The mom has more than one child
• The mom and dad separated
• There isn't a lot of income
• The world is overpopulated
• The mom is 30, 40, 45, 50, 70, etc
• [Insert any other reason here]

 I can't say I agree with the Duggars life choices of no TV and no pets or their choice to live a Quiverfull lifestyle. I look at it this way though. I will may not want to live like them but I will fight for their right to live how they want. Otherwise someone can come take away my rights to live how I want. As a fellow homeschooler, I fully support the rights of anyone who doesn't want to live like the Jones.

I say CONGRATULATIONS to the Duggars... not that they'll ever see this blog because they don't have internet that they surf on... but still...

WAY TO GO!

Browser Compatability Concerns

While checking on my comments for today, I found this one from an anonymous reader:

"Hello, I believe your internet site may be getting browser compatibility concerns. When I search at your web site in Safari, it appears good but when opening in World wide web Explorer, it's some overlapping. I just desired to provide you with a fast heads up! Other then that, wonderful weblog!"

Thanks for the compliment! That made my day!

I googled for "world wide web explorer" to see if I could download it myself and see what they are talking about so I can fix it or adjust the blog to look right for that browser but I couldn't find anything on it.

If you are having trouble viewing the blog, could you please email me or comment on the post that is having issues and let me know:

• What browser you are using. Provide a link where I can see what it is. I use Firefox, Chrome and my android browser (on my phone) to view the site each week. If you are using something different, it would help me to know what you are using so I can see it for myself.
• If you were viewing a specific post, add the link. I have found that when I am going through the blog to look for typos, broken links and other issues that some older posts really mess with the layout. Sometimes I can fix it, sometimes I can't. But I will always try.
• If you can, send a screenshot of the page so I can see what you are seeing. You can do this by pressing ctrl + prntscr buttons at the same time. Then open the email, click on the writing area and press ctrl + V. It will copy a shot of your screen so I can fully see what you are talking about.

If you want an update, send me your email and when it is fixed, I will shoot a note and ask you to see how it looks on your end. Sometimes computers see pages differently. I have a Dell Ispiron with a 10" screen and I can tell you that it looks a tad different on my kid's HP 15" laptop screen and on my IBM desktop.

Thanks everyone for sending me notes with a heads up when my blog misbehaves! It really helps me to keep The Baker's Acres in good shape.

P.S. You can also email me about typos and pretty much anything else you want to!