An Eventful Weekend

This past weekend I attended another continuing education class focusing on the management and treatments relating to patients who've experienced a stroke. The class started on Friday afternoon and continued all day on Saturday. A great way to take care of my CE credits needed to renew my PT license. Friday after the class I went up to see my uncle, still in the hospital, to see how he was doing. He informed me he'd be going home probably on Monday. After talking for awhile, I decided I should get going, and stop to say HI to Joe down at Starbucks before I made it home. Upon leaving the parking ramp, I started down 3rd Ave toward Superior Street, although I never made it there. I was stopped at the 1st Street stoplight because it was red, and some little old lady rear ended me, lifting my vehicle's back end right off the ground!!! I couldn't believe it! I put my car in park, got out to see if she was ok, and found her to be a bit confused, but nothing wrong. Her car still under mine, she started reviving up her engine, but not going anywhere because she had put her car in park! I told her she needed to put it into reverse, and that then we'd pull the cars over to the street so we'd be out of the way of other vehicles.

I told her I was going to call the police, to let them know what had happened, and so we could report this to our insurance company. Norma Jean, 84 years old, kept telling me that wasn't necessary and that she would just give me her insurance information; however, Norma Jean wasn't able to find her cards in her purse, "I just changed insurance agents and I can't find my cards!" Well, after standing out in the rain for 15 minutes dealing with this, the police finally showed up, as did my husband. I needed to get a my insurance information from my car, although I was I was looking for my cards, I remembered that they were stolen out of my car with my owners manual a couple of months back. Luckily, the police officer was able to use an older card of mine, and the reports were being written up.

Upon completion of the all the paper work, I read what Norma said had happened: "My foot must have slipped off the brake." Now, going down a hill in Duluth, that is not the best time for your foot to slip off the brake, don't you think! Oh well, there wasn't much damage done to my car this time, but I'm still concerned since my car is a lease, it has to go back in the same condition it was bought at. So it is something that needs to be looked at.

Yesterday I worked hard. (Ok, I worked, but not necessarily hard.) I called my mom and found out she was coming up to pick my uncle and bring him home. He was discharged to home and home health was going to help out with the dressing changes that need to be done daily, if not twice a day. He still has two OPEN incisions on his neck, but is taking antibiotics. He still has an infection and they will not close the incisions. They want them to heal from the inside out because of how severe the infections truly were. I'm worried things may change and he ends up sick again, but he's a fighter and things should fall into place. My parents will be able to help out if something is needed. Other than that, I'm glad things turned around for him. He's been through a lot this year. So lets pray things keep heading down this positive road for awhile.

As for today, I was able to have the day off from work because we are currently over staffed at work and our census is low. As a result, there were three of us who were able to relax and take care of things that need to be done. As for me, I ran to the gym and worked out for awhile, ran to Target to pick up another baby shower gift, and then headed to take care of an extra charge found on my credit card. A nice, relaxing day.

The Good with the Bad

• Last weekend I attended a course down in St. Paul addressing vestibular rehabiliation. It was amazing and I learned so much. Much more than I ever did during school, that's for sure. Joe and I also got to spend a few minutes with my sister, as well as seeing her boyfiend Kyle whom we do not see too often. Anyways, it's amazing how time flies when your're enjoying yourself and the company you have.

Emily and I at the Town Brewery in Minneapolis, MN.

• Unfortunately, the good weekend ended sooner than expected. On Monday, I ended up injurying myself again at work. If I didn't have to do lifting, I'd love my job but that isn't the case. Since most of the patients I work with have injuries that leave them debiliated, I'm the person who helps them move. A very rewarding job, but physical. So, Tuesday I was nursing an injury but dealing with the problem.

• Wednesday I had off. So I scheduled a massage to relax a little more, and then planned on taking care of some other things around the house and then cooking something for dinner. Little did I know, none of that was going to happen. I was heading out of the house to grab my breakfast when I got a call from my mom who was down in the cities visiting my sister. She said she had a big, huge favor to ask of me. She had gotten a call from my uncle's dentist saying he needed to be admitted to the hospital because the abscessed tooth he had pulled last week on Friday was not healing and he required medical attention. He still had significant swelling on the right side of his face and in fact, he looked just like the Nutty Professor (except he isn't black). That is how bad the swelling was. It was freaky looking!!

• So, instead of a relaxing day, I drove out to Ashland to pick up my uncle to bring him back to Duluth to St. Mary's to be admitted for the infection he has in his mouth. Upon arriving at his house in Ashland, I realized this was the first time since 1991 I had been in this house. That was when my grandmother had passed away. 17 years is a long time, let me tell you. As I walked into the house, I realized everything look the exact same. Nothing had changed. The flooring, the walls, the bathroom. It was freaky. And of course, I started to get a little emotional. It was so weird. I expected to see my grandma walk around the corner to start cooking or something. Just weird and unexpected emotions to have. I didn't expect to have any, but I did.

• Well, upon arriving at the hospital, the registration nurse told me and Uncle Jim that he was MRSA + and required to be in a private room. I looked at her and asked how she had gotten that information. She said she didn't know but they would look into it to see where this came about. I explained to her no one had completed blood work or even a nasal swab to test for this, so he shouldn't have been marked/flagged as MRSA+. This was disturbing and boggling to me, but I just let it be. We walked up to his room, and my parents soon showed up before we knew it. We sat around for about five hours before any doctor showed up. Upon his arrival, I decided to I needed to get going home to relax. It had been a busy, and emotional day. My mom said she'd call and give me an update when they knew something.

• At about 9PM, she finally called me to say Uncle Jim was going down for a CT scan, and we'd know a little from that. Well, about fifteen minutes later, she called again and said they were taking him directly to surgery because of how bad the infection and that this was life threatening. So, I stayed at home, while they waited at the hospital to find out the results. Around 11:30 that night, my dad called to give me an update: Surgery went well. They were able to intubate him through his mouth, meaning the swelling was not affecting his trachea. They had to surgically open the side of his face, one incision under his jaw, and another just caudal to his right clavicle. They had to do two incisions, secondary to how severe the infection was and how far it had spread down the right side of the neck. They had cleaned out the infection as much as they were able to, but may still need to go back to surgery to clean it again. After surgery, they admitted him to the ICU for close monitoring.

• Thursday morning, he was still intubated, but doing well. He was then exbutated on Friday, but still in the ICU for continued care. Yesterday, after I talked to Dr. Eyer, a critical care doctor I work with at my facility, we were informed he was going to be transferred our to a general medical floor because Uncle Jim was considered to be medically stable. After hearing the good news, my parents decided to head home. Well, this morning I talked to my mom again, and she had informed me the Uncle Jim was transferred out, but then was readmitted to the ICU because they had found bleeding in his abdomen and required to have a couple units of blood. I was informed this evening they are attributing the bleeding to diverticulitis, something that is actually stemming back to his achilles tendon repair back in May. Partially because of all the NSAIDs and Tylenol he's been taking for pain, along with his diabetes medications. At this juncture, he is still in the ICU, but should be transferred back to a medical floor soon; however, it is dependent on how things go.

• Honestly, this has all been a very trying time. I've seen infections before, but this is something I have personally not had to deal with and it is just nerve recking.So, in a nut shell, that's what has been happening. Hopefully things will start heading back to the good, but in the mean time, it's just a waiting game to see how things will pan out. Wish us luck and pray for Uncle Jim.

A Beautiful View

The first week in October is Apple Fest, something I love attending every year. It was great weather, and Joe, my dad and his dad along with our friend Seth, went golfing down in Hayward. My mom, Donna and myself ventured up to Bayfield. It was wonderful and we had a great time together. After our time in Bayfield we headed up to Mt. Ashwabay to check out the colors and of course, the views. Since my parents are on the board of the hill, we have the advantage of trucking up the hill, or basically doing anything we want! So, us in my little Mercury Mariner followed the back run up to the top of the hill, and here is what we saw:

Beautiful views looking out over Lake Superior, Bayfield to the left, and Madeline Island straight forward. It is great! It was also neat because I got to show Donna and my mom the exact spot Joe proposed to me on top of the hill. Ah, memories. So, please enjoy these two pics. If you're ever looking at going on a vacation, I highly recommend taking a trip up north in Wisconsin. May seem weird, but it is beautiful!

Good Friends Over A Drink

This past weekend was good, even though I had to spend it working. I had great patients to work with at work, which made the weekend go so much smoother. I actually got to say "I enjoyed working this weekend!" To add to this, I got a call from my good friend, Zack (one of our ushers in our wedding), who informed me a friend of ours was going to be up visiting this weekend. I hadn't seen Mike since 2003. He was unable to make it to our wedding because he was over in Iraq, and during his tour over there, he ended up in a near explosion of their base. During this incident he actually ended up injured and has required multiple surgeries on his arm and hand. Things are better now, of course, but it has been a long road for him and will still require a couple more surgeries here in the near future.

Anyways, Saturday night I got to the boys! It was great. I walked from our house down to the Anchor Bar and grill, about two miles from our house. Upon my arrival to the bar Zack, Abe (his younger brother), and Mike were there. You know that feeling you get when you're excited to see someone and then you finally see them? Elated? Excited? Nervous? Everything! It was great. I got a huge hug and we talked, had a beer and ate great burgers. (Even though they were a little tipsie, it was still worth while.) The only thing that would have made this better would have been having Amy there with us. Then it really would have been just like old times!*Memories* After finishing our burgers, Joe and I headed home, and the three of them worked there way down Tower Ave to Frankies for a bloody mary. Great memories. Seriously! I wish I could have gone with them, but it is more important to earn money these days, oh, and being able to work not hung over is a bonus!

Other than this past weekend, this coming weekend will be filled with learned and a relaxing. I get to attend a Vestibular Rehabiliation course down in St. Paul. During this venture, I also get to see my sister for a few hours. Maybe a couple of other friends too, we'll have to see how much time we have. The fun thing for Joe is he'll be able to attend the 5th Annual Miller Bowl. A bunch of his friends have been getting together for the past couple of years and play flag/touch football and drink. Unfortunately, I have never been able to attend, but at least this year he'll be able to be a part of the game. After that, we have plans to go to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and well, cheesecake!! I can't wait! Sometimes breaking the diet for a good piece of cake is worth it. Rules are meant to be broken, right?!

Enlightened Perspective

This was an email I got from my mom and mother-in-law. After reading it, I wanted to share it with all of you. It's nothing special but makes you think of things and remember each other. Please enjoy!

Thoughts written by Andy Rooney , a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words.

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I 've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned..... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost, someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.