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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Simon Flash

Our family loves board games.  Every school vacation my nieces come and spend a week with us.  We play lots of games together.  We love all kinds of games from board games to card games.  Lately, my grandson has also been really into learning new games.  Just last week we taught him how to play Monopoly Junior.  This game used to be his daddy’s game when he was just a little boy. 

Robyn over at robynsonlineworld has just reviewed Simon Flash and has a giveaway on her blog.  Go check it out!  I know this is a game that we would love to play. 

SIMON Flash Game

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Anna’s First Dance Performances of the year

It has been a really crazy weekend.  On Friday night Anna had dance rehearsal to start off the busy year.  My plan was to go shopping but honestly I was having way too much fun watching the girls.  Ethan was having fun snapping pics on his Nintendo DS before he got completely bored.  When Anna finally got up to dance, Ethan shouted loudly, “Hi Anna!” Of course everyone laughed. 

Saturday was performance day.  I am always a mess before these things. 

“Do you have your shoes?”

“Put the tights on with tan first, then pink, then trouser socks.”

“We need to do your bun.”

“What’s taking so long?”

“You only have 1 tights on!”

“Come on!  I need to do your bun!”

“We are running out of time, Anna”

“Are the tights on correctly?  Tan, pink then socks?”

Finally get in the van

“You have all your shoes right?”

“Tights are on in the right order right?”

Yes, I am a maniac.  At the second nursing home I was starting up again as she was changing.  I asked her if she wanted me to leave.. she nodded yes.  Oh the poor girl!  She did an awesome job, though.  I don’t think I ruined her….yet.  She was totally embarrassed in one of the dances.  Her top came down exposing her camisole but we told her.. That is what the camisoles are for.  One of the ladies made her feel better with a few dancer stories to share. 

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This is my favorite dance.  It was called Frames.

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After the dances, the girls go around and meet the residents of the nursing homes. 

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The lady in this picture was asking Anna about school.  Anna’s response, “I don’t go to school.”  Long pause “I am homeschooled”  I can just imagine what the lady must have been thinking during that pause.

I was reading her lips as she was talking to another lady.  She said “I have been dancing for 5 years, I don’t need to practice”

I loved it when she told me that one lady said she was dancer for 11 years.  She told Anna that she should never quit, even if it kills her.  LOL!

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Hanging out after the final Saturday performance.

On Sunday, Anna got to do it all over again.  After the nursing home, the girls headed off to another place to sing Carols and give gifts.  I just loved watching the faces of the residents as the girls danced.  One lady was all into it, just singing and dancing along.  At the place where they sang carols, there was one guy in the back they just sang along with them.. every single song.  Never missed a beat.  I am so glad these girls can just brighten up someone’s day like that. 

Finally we dropped Anna off at the teachers home with a big crock of sloppy joes for a holiday party.  Only dancers allowed.  Angel and I headed over to Burger King and just sat there reading and talking til it was time to pick her up.  We would have preferred going someplace else for steak but finances just don’t allow it these days.  We are just glad Anna had a great time! 

Monday, December 5, 2011

Black Friday Mingle

1. Did you do Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping? Tell us about it!
2. Have you finished most of your holiday shopping?
3. Does your family have any holiday traditions?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Military Spouse?

If you just came over here from Trooppetrie's Blog, you may be a bit confused.  No I am not currently a military spouse but I was for a short while.  My husband served his 20 years in the military.  He was active for 4 years, then continued in the Army Reserves.  When I met Angel in 1994, he was coming into RI, once a month to stay with his brother on the weekends he had drill.  We were married in 1999 and he retired in 2005.  I do remember just before he retired, there was a concerned that his unit could be deployed.  I remember being really nervous and now knowing how I could manage without him.  I have a lot of admiration and respect for military families.  I have often wondered what would have happened if Angel had continued in the service.  He has often wished he was still active.  For those military families who have come through the link on the blog above, I want to say Thank you!  Thank you for all you do, and the sacrifices you make for the rest of us.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Thanksgiving Mingle

1. What did you and your family do for Thanksgiving?

2. What is your favorite way to use Thanksgiving leftovers

3. Fill in the blank: “I really wish I hadn’t eaten so much _______________ on Thanksgiving.

 

Random Thoughts

I am just a jumble of thoughts today.  So here it goes..

  • Angel’s IV filter removal went really well!
  • We had a week off with dance, which was really nice. 
  • We spent Thanksgiving at my mom’s.
  • IMAG0603
  • Mainly because our oven doesn’t really work
  • I called her the day before to remind her how to keep the turkey gluten free.
  • The day of Thanksgiving she wasn’t thinking and stuffed the turkey
  • with regular stuffing
  • so I couldn’t eat the turkey
  • or the gravy..
  • Sad smile
  • I survived though.  Even after I helped her debone the turkey and put it away
  • Had a great time with the family too! 
  • I missed Jade terribly!
  • IMAG0605
  • She is growing too fast! 
  • We had fun with Mike’s jokes. 
  • Lots of laughter all around.
  • Friday we got a few deals later in the day. 
  • We had a friend of Anna’s stay over from Friday til yesterday.
  • Also had to pick up ballet shoes for Anna
  • 30.00!! 
  • I detest the need for money!
  • Right now I keep getting cyber Monday emails..
  • I can’t look.. still costs money.. Sad smile
  • This is what we spotted on our outing..
  • IMAG0610
  • I want that dog! 
  • We did have a great weekend though!
  • More laughter
  • Especially when Anna was over tired and freaking out at the kitten
  • Wish I had taken a video!
  • She was standing on the couch crying.. the kitten was on the floor stalking her.. Kitten jumped on couch, she screamed loud.  Kitten freaked and ran to the basement. 
  • We could not stop laughing!  Poor Anna. 
  • About 5 min later kitten tried to come back.  Anna was calming down on my lap. 
  • Kitten comes up looking skittish.. Anna spots her looking at her and screams again
  • kitten runs back down
  • poor kitten..
  • It was obviously time for bed!
  • I tried to buy a turkey
  • It was almost 3.00 a pound.
  • went for a chicken instead. 
  • Angel put a rock under our heating element to keep it in place
  • seemed to work, oven stayed on
  • chicken was great.  Not turkey but still great.
  • Today is Monday…
  • which means back to school and dance. 
  • Always a lot of cleaning to be done after a lazy weekend too. 
  • Off to work I go…
  • Happy Monday!
  • I leave you with one more picture..
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Monday, November 14, 2011

October Happenings… It’s been crazy!

I don’t think I have done a single update on Angel in quite a while.  The last two months have been rather busy.  I decided to do a brief outline of all the happenings in October.  I apparently forgot how busy it really was!  So thankful it ended on a happy note! 

Wed, October 5th – Buried Gram.  Realized something was wrong with van.

Thurs, October 6th – Canceled doc appt due to van issues

Fri, October 7th – Received a call from hospital...  They don't like his liver numbers and want him to go to the hospital Monday for a liver ultrasound. 

Sat, October 8th – took van in to get checked on.  Angel had to walk to and from Anna’s dance studio and they sat there all day.  2200.00 to repair.  Had to get bare minimums done since we didn’t have it.  So roughly 1200.00. 

Sun, Oct 9th – Birthday party at neighbors for their one year old.  So cute!  Think the deviled eggs I thought was safe, had dairy.  Sad smile

Mon, Oct 10th – Went to hospital for an ultrasound.  They didn’t get back to us til we had no choice but to leave to get to Anna’s dance.  On the road they called and told us it looked like his vein had gotten narrow and they needed to do a procedure to widen it.  They told him to be in Glastonbury the next morning.  When I looked up the procedure, it looked like a complicated thing that required a driver.  I totally over reacted and we had a bad night.

Tues, Oct 11th – I stayed home while Angel and David went to procedure.  He was at the wrong place.  Turned out they only did a cat scan to see the vein better.  Whew! 

Wed, October 12th – I went to audiologist appointment.  Had another hearing test done and found out my hearing is getting significantly worse. 

Thurs, October 13th,

Angel went for his doctor's appointment today.  The blood seems to be flowing fine.  However they can't see the vein properly because of the clips that are in his body from surgery.  They still don't like the numbers so they want to do a liver biopsy to make sure there is no rejection going on.  As for the vein, apparently during the transplant they had to graft the vein together and now it looks like there is possible shrinkage.  They want to get a closer look with another procedure.  Both procedures can be done as an outpatient however, because he is on Coumadin, he would bleed out.  So they want to admit him in the hospital for 4 days to control the Coumadin, and then get him back on after the procedure.  

Angel told them this was not possible with work.  So they decided another method.  They are mailing him a package that will have filled needles.  He will give himself shots for a few days.  These shots will keep his blood thin but not have the same affect as the Coumadin.  He will then go in for the procedure as an outpatient on either the 26th or the 27th of this month.  After the procedure he will continue to do the shots til the Coumadin takes effect again. 

Found out Health insurance will not pay for a lot of my bloodwork I had done or the new doctor I am seeing. 

Mon, Oct 24th

went the hospital today so they could show him out to give himself a shot before his Liver biopsy and angiogram on Thursday. I asked them about a protruding spot on his stomach. Turns out he has a hernia caused from the incision during surgery. It can be removed maybe next spring unless it starts to cause pain.

 

Wednesday, Oct 26th

Angel went to his vascular appointment today. They found no blood clots!! They will be taking the IV filter out on November 17th. This is really good news!

Thurs, Oct 27th

Angel’s brother took him to the hospital for the procedures.  He was supposed to have the angiogram and the liver biopsy.  Due to a problem with taking Coumadin yesterday, they did not want to do the biopsy.  After having to lay flat for 6 hours the liver doc came in and tried to do the biopsy through a scar tissue.  Failed.  Need to reschedule. 

Thursday, November 10th,
We received incredible news. The plans for a liver biopsy was cancelled. His numbers are the best they have ever been! He will continue to have the IV Filter removed on Thursday. Thank you so much for all your prayers! It will be a year this month since his cirrhosis was discovered and it has been 6 months since his liver transplant. God is truly amazing!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Friday Fill Ins…

I decided to check out some memes today. 

1. Turkey is __Delicious___.
2. _I want Cherry, peach or apple___ pie.
3. On and on and on we go __Where it ends, nobody knows___.
4. The last time I saw __one of my best friends, was 12 years ago, thankfully we still keep in touch___.
5. Can you believe __Christmas is almost here___.
6. I need a __complete day all to myself___.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __bedtime, I have no reason to wake up at 6 in the morning___, tomorrow my plans include __taking my daughter to dance and shopping as usual___ and Sunday, I want to __do absolutely nothing___!

Coconut Cookie Dough Oatmeal = Yum!!

cookie dough oatmeal

Look at that picture!  I found this recipe over at ChocolateCoveredKatie.com.  It was delicious.  Next time I will added some shredded coconut to the mix.  The one thing I am learning through this dietary change, isn’t so much what I can’t eat.. but all the new things I can it! 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

23 years ago.....

23 years ago.. I became a mom.. 
it was the most unbelievable and fantastic journey ever.. 

not to mention scary.   


When I finally got to hold this precious baby.. 

I was over whelmed with so many emotions.. 

There was no other feeling that could compare.. 

 
I am amazed at how fast time flies.. 
 
Wasn't he a cutie?
 
Being a single mom definitely was interesting.. 


David was my entire life.. there was nothing I would not have done for him. 
 
Having David in my life has been a huge blessing. 
 He has taught me so many things through the years.   
   
 






Happy 23rd Birthday, David!  We love you!  


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Cooking Day

It’s been a really long time since I have posted.  So many things have been going on.  It’s been a really tough few weeks and I know I am going to want to post it here.  However, not tonight.  Tonight I just wanted to share how I spent my day. 

I spent most of my day in the kitchen.  I made

  • Hummus from scratch
  • Brown rice to keep in fridge
  • Potato Salad
  • Homemade Tator Tots
  • Started process to sprout mung beans. 
  • Got Chicken prepared to make rice wraps tomorrow.

It doesn’t look like much but when you are uses dried chickpeas, the process takes a long time.  I am wiped.  Not to mention all the dishes I had to keep up with.  I am proud to say, all dishes have been washed and I am ready for a new day.  The tator tots did not go so well.  They were falling apart during cooking.  I have done about half the batch (although I lost a lot) and the other half is in the freezer in ball form.  I think freezing them will make it easier to cook.  I don’t think I will be trying this again. 

Well now I am off to bed.  Tomorrow is a brand new day. 

Monday, September 26, 2011

Gluten and Dairy free for a week!

I made it past the first week.  Not without some emotional upsets and frustrations though.  I have been more creative with my meals, which is kind of awesome.  Last night I attempted to stay up late and do some cleaning.  During that time I also decided to update by video.  I can’t believe I talked for 10 minutes though.  I think I talk a bit too much.  hmm… 

Anyways, if you are interested in my update.. here it is. Sorry for the video lag. 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Rough Night…

Last night Annaleah had her 2.5 hours of dance classes.  Dinner was going to be tough.  I decided to make some spring roll wraps filled with spicy chicken salad.  As we rushed out the door and started down the road I realized, I had forgotten the wraps at home.  We left at 5pm.  This meant no eating til 8:30pm. 

Angel had already planned to get himself a burger or two at McDonalds.  I tried racking my brain to see what I could eat.. hmm.. grill chicken salad should be fine.  I know the croutons are in separate little bags. 

I get up front and ask the cashier, “Do you put cheese on your salads?”.  She responds, “yes we do”. 

“Can I have mine without cheese??”

“Our salads are premade”

“Oh, nevermind. Two apple dippers please” 

Angel looks at her and says.. “Cancel the order.”  and walks out. 

I am stunned.. I keep telling him to get himself his burgers.  I don’t want him to go hungry.. He refuses and takes me arm as we walk out.. I can just image the people’s reaction behind us. 

Angel decides we should just get a salad at ShopRite.  I don’t remember there being salad bars there but I am not going to say anything.  I did notice they have prepackaged salad (with cheese of course), but no salad bars in sight. 

I continue with my shopping.. Could not find Udi bread anywhere (and there have a gluten free section that is three aisles long).  Shopping was really difficult.  I did end up finding Gluten free bisquick and just decided to get that.  Although it was over 5.00 for a tiny box!  I also did not find any gluten/dairy free frozen treats there .. Sad smile 

After shopping, Angel mentioned Chinese food.  I searched my brain for something I may be allowed to eat.  I know I can’t have soy sauce.  I decide on an order of boneless ribs praying it is safe for me.  So we order.. then pull up to Anna’s dance studio.  It is now 7:30.  We have about 45 minutes to eat.. However, they did not pack us a fork.  So we didn’t get to eat til 8:48pm. 

I know things will get easier with time.. Gotta think positive! 

Monday, September 19, 2011

A New Journey

I decided to see a Homeopathic Doctor recently.  I have not seen my regular doctor for about 3 years.  Just got tired of not being listened to.  This doctor was great.  She listened to everything I said and decided that bloodwork was the first thing to do.  I have had bloodwork before but not like this. 
Results came in… 
  • no celiac
  • liver functioning great! 
  • cholesterol good – although good cholesterol should be raised a bit
  • very anemic
  • very low Vit. D – 14 when it should be in the 70’s
  • calcium a bit low
  • thyroid a little on the high side
  • Low folate and B12
  • Positive for Candida
  • slight allergy to soybeans and corn
  • Very allergic to gluten and Dairy! 

Seriously??  Allergic to gluten and dairy!  This is going to be hard! 

Plan of Action: 
no wheat or dairy, period
10 times the amount of Vit D for 2 months
b complex vitamins as well as the extra b6 I have
High Iron Diet
MSM to help with bone pain and anti-histamine for my seasonal sickness


After all my mineral are up we will start attacking the candida which can take 4-6 weeks in some cases 3 months.

Sigh…

Friday, September 9, 2011

Homeschool Journal

I was roaming through a friend’s blog when a post caught my eye.  I headed over to the original site and thought I should try it out.  I have been so lacking in blogging these days.  I can use all the help I need. 
The Homeschool Mother's Journal
In my life this week… we have been busy with recovery from Hurricane Irene and unexpected hospital trips.  We lost power for a full week after Irene hit.  I fought to save our food in the deep freezer.  We pretty must lost everything in the fridge.  We have no way to restore these items at the moment.  I just checked the freezer today and it is frozen solid on the bottom from the ice bags on top melting during the outage. 
As for Angel, his white cells are really low.  He had to go in twice for a shot of white blood cells and then his normal appointment on Thursday.  A lot of unexpected driving for sure. 
My Grandson also started preschool this week and I picked him up yesterday.  He was not happy to see me which led to me explaining who I was to the teacher.  Just love those little 4 year old mood swings. 
In our homeschool this week…we started out slow.  Tuesday we took a list of all the subjects and new books.  I had Anna help me plan out the day and we looked through each book and introductions.  She is a bit behind in the Math program but we decided to do a times table review all week.  I believe if she can get this down then it would be much easier to do her division problems.  I think it was a productive week.  Next week will be a bit more work.
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…is to just stick with it.  If you end up behind in an area, don’t fret.  This is something I struggle with big time.  I am learning to just take a step back and re-evaluate the situation.  This is the beauty of homeschooling.  We do not have to be on such a strict schedule.  This is where we tend to lose the joy of schooling.
I am inspired by…other bloggers who homeschool.  They always amaze me with their dedication.
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…we have not really seen many people this week.  Tonight is Annaleah’s first dance class.  She had a meeting this week for the dance company she is in now.  It is a bit overwhelming but I know she is going to love it.  She will learn so much in dance and character building.  We are hoping the weather will cooperate this weekend for the Ledyard Fair.  We have not been in a while. 
My favorite thing this week was…hard to pinpoint.  It has been a tough week.  I think my favorite thing though was being able to sit and look at Anna’s newletters for US History and Science.  Through these lessons I realized that she is alot like me.  I was able to help her with some tips for comprehending what she was reading.  It brought back a lot of memories from my reading comprehension struggles as a child.
What’s working/not working for us…amazingly, we have been able to just pick up everything and school on the road.  On Wednesday, when Angel got the call to head to the hospital asap.. it only took a few minutes to make some photocopies and pack up a folder for the van.  Anna did schooling two days in a row in the van and managed to finish it all.
Questions/thoughts I have…are just turning around in my head.  It’s chaos in there.
Things I’m working on…organizing things.  Everything around me needs organizing and I really not succeeding at this time. 
I’m reading…way too many romance novels.  Sadly I have not been doing my morning devotions.  I really need to get my priorities straight. 
I’m cooking…very little right now.  With our fridge practically empty and most of our meat gone thanks to Irene, meals have been difficult. 
I’m grateful for…life and family.  Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without my family.  I am so grateful that Angel is still here with us. 

I’m praying for…those in our area still without power.  Also the many others that were affected by hurricane Irene. 

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Annaleah got her hair stuck in a comb.  Somehow she thought it was wise to wrap it???
 
Thankfully Daddy was able to cut the comb and save the hair!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Toilet that won’t flush.

We have been having issues with our toilet for quite some time now.  When we got back after our two month stay in the hospital, it was really bad.  After getting the situation under control, we had to keep a close eye on it constantly.  Imagine, every time you flush you have the plunger in hand, waiting. 

I had just checked out FlyLady again for the hundredth time. I saw an email of someone praising the HeyTom Clog Cannon

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After showing it to hubby, he said to order it right away.  So I did.  Although the site says to expect it in two weeks, we received it a week later.  After attempting to use it .. took a few tries.. this pops out of the toilet. 

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Now I know what the penny is.. but have no clue what the rocks are from.  The penny though is really thin.  I placed it side by side next to another penny..

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No clue what the rocks are.. but for now.. the toilet is flushing. 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Bottled juices...

We are on the road, heading to Hartford for Angel's bi-weekly appointment.  We stopped to grab egg sandwiches and juice.  I noticed they did not have regular Orange juice. Angel insisted I try on of the mixed juices.

I am not a juice person at all. Aside from orange juice, I drink no juice or koolaide. Not even lemonade. My beverage is iced water, occasionally soda.  Milk once in a while but mostly with cereal.

So I try the strawberry berry juice pictured below.  Nope. One sip was enough. I think angels peach mango was better but I still wouldn't buy it.  Am I the only one that has a problem with bottled juices? 



Wednesday, August 10, 2011

I can’t believe it’s been 12 years!

Twelve years ago, I walked down the aisle and vowed to spend my life with Angel.  Now, I am so grateful that he is still by my side.  Thankful the Lord granted us more time together. 

We decided we really needed to go out.  We went out to eat at Ruby Tuesday.  We had not been there in quite some time.  The food was pretty good.  Sometimes however, I wish we could find some really good hot wings.  These were not it. 

Angel had lobster tail and steak with onion rings and mashed cauliflower.  His dietitian told him he should try some since potatoes are very high in potassium. 

I had herb crusted tilapia, asparagus and white cheddar mashed potatoes.  I also tried some of the lobster tail since I have never eaten lobster. 

It always amazes me when they ask if we want desert.  We have only had desert maybe twice in a restaurant.  Seriously, we always leave really full! 

Next Angel wanted to see Cowboys and Aliens. 

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Isn’t that romantic?  Sigh.  However, I will admit.. it was really good and it was even better when Harrison Ford’s grumpy character gave that half smile I love so much.  Oh yes, I had a crush on him when I was a kid.  I think it is time to introduce Anna to Star Wars.  :-) 

It was really nice to just spend a nice time alone with Angel for a change.  I wish we could do it more often. 

Could anything else go wrong???

Yesterday was just one of those days.  It started off when I turned on my computer and it told me there was a problem and started scanning my disk drives.  Lovely.  After that it was just hours of error messages and window failure.  I tried scanning for viruses but the windows errors kept interrupting and it would reboot the entire system.  Seriously?? 

I have been having some problems for awhile now.  Whenever I did a search on Google.com.. the links would direct me to ads.  I had to stop using google and go to yahoo (not my favorite thing to do).  I had done all the scans and there was still an issue.  I guess now it is time to completely redo my laptop.  Sigh. 

I spent the entire day moving over files, pictures, documents, etc.  Uninstalling programs.  I have no clue where half of those programs even came from!  Sometimes the computer would just reboot on it’s own.  I just kept on trying.  I did not want to lose anything!  It was a pain and there were times where I yelled at the machine.  Ok, many times.  It was a bit frustrating! 

Then it was time to make dinner.  BBQ chicken sounded really good.  Looks good too! 

I did all the prep and got that in the oven.  After 15 minutes I re-basted and set to cook for 45 minutes.  Then I went back to working on the computer. I got up and started the corn.. checked on the chicken and noticed the oven was off.  Uh oh.. did I accidently shut it off when I re-basted the chicken??  hmm.. Ok.. late dinner.  Restart oven and go back to my computer.

After 45 min I go back (don’t know why I didn’t bother earlier) and once again the oven is off.  Seriously!!  It is now like 7pm.  So I start the grill.. in the rain btw.  I am not a good cook when it comes to the grill.. either everything cooks too fast or too slow.  well.. I burned the chicken.. whatever, take the skin off, right.  As I go to put the chicken on the plate and it slides off.. I try to do some acrobatic type move to catch the chicken in mid-air while screaming “NOOOO!!!!”  Well, of course, I missed! 

Now I am really ticked during this entire thing.  I went and heated some rice and tried to calm myself down.  We all sat at the table and I decided to just cut into a chicken to see how it looked.. Red.. in the middle.  Of course mom and Anna are like.. we can just eat the outside.. NO!  Do not touch the chicken. 

We ran to the store and picked up a cooked whole chicken, reheated everything and ate.  Last night as we went to bed I asked Angel if he could cook dinner for tonight.  Thankfully he said yes. 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Catching up….

I am sitting here playing Pet Shop Monopoly with my mom and Annaleah.  They can be insane when playing this game.  I figure it may be a good time to do some catching up on here.  I am failing miserably at posting regularly.  Where should I start?? 
Homeschooling:
We have been behind in this area due to Angel’s two month hospital stay.  We did catch up a bit on Math since I feel it is a very important subject, but that alone was stressing us out.  We decided to stop.  We will play some math war games to review the times tables.  I was mostly stressing because I had no materials for next year.  We had missed the convention and I had no clue what I was going to use.  Math is easy.  We love Math-U-See. 
After some serious researching (I just love scouring reviews) I decided to go with Painless Jr. Grammar and Ignite your Writing to go along with our Language Arts Program.  Now my other problem was Social and Science.  I found some awesome weekly newletters for students.  An entire year of Science or Social.  The Science covers 96% of our State’s requirements.  Anna is going to love this.  She will need to cover 8 weeks in division before starting on this years Math book, but we are fine with that.  I think this is going to be a good year. 
New Dance Year:
This is a recital year for Anna’s Dance Studio.  This will be her 3rd recital.  I can’t believe this is going to be her 6th year dancing.  She is now officially old enough to try out for the Dance Ensemble also.  This group dances at nursing homes and various benefits.  Last year they got to train with the Rocketts in NYC.  This is just a wonderful opportunity for the dancers. 
Last Friday, Anna went to audition.  She was very nervous!  Once we arrived, she would not let go of my arm.  One of the older girls came over and asked Anna if she would like to warm up with them.  This helped Anna tremendously.  She got her shoes and went to join them in the room. 
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They actual audition required them to follow along with one of the teachers in Ballet, Tap and Jazz, while the rest of the teachers observed.  Anna did not think she did well at all.  We would not know how she did til Monday morning. 
Angel decided we all needed to go out to eat so we headed to Gus Pizza.  I ordered fish and onion rings (instead of chips)  which was huge.  Anna ordered spaghetti and meatballs and Angel got a hamburger platter. 
Saturday Morning, my brother brought my mom in for the week.  We were sitting around chatting when Angel’s phone rang.  Someone asking for Anna.  Turns out it was Miss Maggie.  A huge smile spread out on Anna’s face.  She made it!!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Been a long time since I have blogged.

I honestly don’t know where to start. I have been unmotivated to blog since we have gotten home.  We have had so many mishaps since arriving home.  Thankfully our toilet seems to flush (although we have to be very careful) and we have stopped the leaking in the fridge.  Unfortunately that means manually making ice (It’s been almost 10 years since I have had to do that.. LOL).  The microwave no longer works.  The funny thing is I thought.. hey. don’t need it.  But then you have leftover rice and think.. hmm.. how am I going to reheat it?  What did I do before the microwave.  I think that was like 20 years ago!  I can’t remember!  sigh. 
Since Angel came home after the initial 7 weeks or so in the hospital, he has been back twice.  Both times for a fever due to UTI.  The second time the bacteria went into his blood.  The Transplant team tried to get the Urologist to remove the stints, but the urologist like to wait til after the bacteria is gone, which clearly isn’t going to happen.  It took the Infectious Disease doc to get urologist to do the procedure.  Since then Angel has been home and doing very well.  He is gradually getting stronger.  I could not be with him during the last hospital stay and that was torture. 
Since then we have had quite a few visitors.  First his mom came to stay with us for about 10 days.  During that time his brother Abe also visiting with his daughters.  There was alot of discussion about helping us with the yard, pool and garage but that hasn’t happened.  I guess it is something I will have to do on my own since even David can’t be around much.  He also go a visit from his Uncle David, Uncle Peewee and his wife.  Then his dad and stepmom came last Friday.  It has been really nice to see everyone.  Although I have not been motivated to keep the house really clean. 
This past weekend we went to see Harry Potter finally.  Very good, at the edge of my seat, movie.  We also managed to do some shopping at Walmart and emissions test done on the van.  Angel says he feels well enough to start grocery shopping.  I hope that is true since I really do not want to order peapod anymore.  They just don’t have everything we buy and I end up paying more for things or having to miss out.  I am not faithful to one store.  We also tried ShopRite’s delivery but they charge a bit more than peapod. 
The medical bills are a bit over whelming.  I have this spreadsheet and we pay a little to each bill.  There are over 12.  Well this week 3 new bills came in (for the hospital stay in april/may) and one had a bunch more stuff added.  So now the total is up 800 more than last month.  Pretty frustrating! 
I think that is all my rambling mind can think of for now.  I am going to start our dinner (pasta and meatballs).  I kinda miss alot of the online world and hopefully my motivation with come back soon. 
I can’t Thank everyone enough for the the prayers during this time. 

Monday, June 20, 2011

Another hospital stay

So, Thursday night we were in the ER.  They moved really quickly because he is a transplant recipient. By the next morning Angel was admitted back onto the transplant floor.  It was so sad to have to do this all over again.  I enjoyed seeing the familiar faces but really wish we could have stayed at home.

Turns out, Angel had a UTI from the removal of the kidney stones.  After 4 days on an antibiotic drip, they decided to send him home.  The one thing that bugs me is the ER took a urine sample from the urinal instead of just having Angel use a cup.  It takes 36 hours for the cultures and it came back with way too many bacterias.  They had to do another sample to pinpoint the exact bacteria they needed to treat.

Probably one of the hardest things this time around was telling Anna Friday morning that she could not come home because we were back at the hospital. 

Monday Mingle for June 20th...

I have not been around for so long.  I just had to try and get back in the swing of things with a Monday Mingle.  Please excuse the rambling and the audio quality.



1. Have you put away the winter clothes until next year?
2.  What is your typical daily summer attire?
3. Finish this sentence… “Why is it that everytime I _________________”.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Going home

Monday, June 6th was the kidney stone removal.  This was a very frustrating day for Angel.  First they wanted to upgrade the trach from a 4 back to a 7.  They felt since there was a trach there, it should be used instead of intubating him for the surgery.  This was painful to watch.  The hole had obviously gotten a bit smaller since the downsizing on Friday.  Angel was not happy at all.

Angel went down to surgery prep around 3:40ish.  By 4pm I was told to go wait in the waiting room on the 5th floor.  I asked to just wait in his room but they wanted to reach me in the waiting area.   This room stirred up horrifying memories.  Surgery was over around 5:30 and I was called to go in and see him at 6:15.  He was sitting there awake since 6.  He could not talk because the cuff of the trach was inflated.  We were told in the ICU to never let anyone inflate the cuff.  He would feel like he couldn't breath.  Sure enough he felt that.  I asked the nurse but she insisted he was ok.

About 6:30 there was an emergency in the recovery room.  They told me to head on upstairs and Angel would be up very shortly.  So I waited in his room.. and waited .. and waited.. now it is 7:30 and no Angel.  I know he is very hungry.. and it is took late for the nurses to order him dinner, so I go to the main desk up here and ask.  The receptionist calls downstairs and is told that they are having an emergency but Angel is ok and waiting for transportation.  So I decide to go to the cafeteria and get him a wrap since he is going to be starving because he had not eaten in 24 hours.

Finally at about 9pm he is wheeled into the room.  He was soo angry and still could not talk.  Thankfully Dan was already prepared to removed the trach without downsizing it.  Angel was insistent that he wanted it removed.  Angel also enjoyed that wrap thoroughly.

Tuesday - we finally left the hospital.  After alot of issues with towing the van (not to mention it was a hot day!) we finally made it home.  However, my friend Steph ended up with car troubles as she was bringing me home from walmart.  As a result, her van was towed the next day from my house.  The problem was bad gas!  Turns out alot of vehicles were hit and the repairs for her car was 3,000.  Almost 2 weeks later and she finally has her car back.

Of course coming home was not as relaxing as it should have been.  Now, I wasn't expecting much.  I mean my son is 22 and works .. so I didn't expect perfection.  He did have a bunch of his stuff in the living room, a sink full of dishes and the floor looked like it had not been swept in about 2 months.  The toilet was clogged in the main bathroom, the fridge was leaking so there were water and towels on the kitchen floor and a bunch of towels in piles on the deck.  Bubbles cage had not been cleaned in probably 2 months either and the fish only had about half a tank of water. 

After at least getting the place comfortable, we ate some pizza and watched a movie.  It was nice to finally sleep in our own bed.  Although it was very quiet without Anna.  She was not going to be able to come home til Friday. 

Wednesday, Steph and her husband came over and Steph helped me with the main rooms.  Just before the visiting nurse came the living was looking pretty good.  The toilet was flushing too.  Thursday, the physical therapist came and all was good.  After dinner, Angel took a nap.  When he woke up he did not feel right so he took his temp.  102.5.  Not good at all.  I was on the phone with Anna at the time talking about her arrival in the morning.  I hung up with her and broke out in tears.  We called the doc and thankfully Justine was able to take us back to Hartford Hospital.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Back in the waiting room.

I have not updated in a while. Things have been great.  Right now Angel is having his kidney stones removed. That means I get to wait in the waiting room again. The very same room I was in during the first surgery seven weeks ago. I know it isn't the same but this brings back horrendous memories. I wish the silent tears would stop flowing.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

We have been here for six weeks!

After a really long and boring Memorial Day weekend (no visits either), Tuesday ended up busy. There was a concern about his kidney levels which meant his potassium was really high. They wanted to check his kidney stints just to make sure. They also cut out one of his meds to see if it made a difference. Today we are told the numbers are much better.  Whew.

So yesterday started off with an Xray of his kidneys, the he slept most of the morning. he had a rough night the night before.  Then afternoon was much busier with his Barium Swallow test, Downsizing of the trach, and he walked about 20 feet to the desk.  He did an awesome job!  He is now able to eat real food and started off with a burger and orange soda. 

Today he walked all the way to the end of the hall and back.  I followed with a chair in case he needed to sit but he did not.  When he got back to the room, he was actually looking for another place to walk to.  Another huge step was he is finally out of the ICU.  We are moved back into Bliss 5 which is where we started that Tuesday 6 weeks ago.  This is really a good thing.  Someone was really suprised that he was bypassing the step down room.  This is the room we are supposed to be in.  Here he will get more physical therapy and learn about his meds.  They will give us a pill box to take home and help us fill it.  He will be on alot of meds for sure. 

I am going to miss alot of the nurses upstairs.  Neal gave a quick hug.  Sadly alot of the nurses I love were not there today.  So many have been a tremendous blessing to me and Angel as well.  Neal, Chris, Rubi, Kim 1, Kim 2, Carol, Lidia, Betty, Ming, Lisa, Jason, Rebecca, Denise, Ashley (pca), Beth, Crystal and more.. I just can't remember all the names.  I may not have understand some of the decisions made but everyone put in so much dedication to getting Angel back on his feet.  I truly admire them all.  Of course there are all the Drs on the floor and the respiratory team.  All the smiling, cheering faces.  I will truly miss them.  We definitely plan on coming back to say hi.  We know we will be visiting the transplant team often for checkups. 

Today was a really good day.  I know we will sleep well tonight.  

Monday, May 30, 2011

Sleep...

Sleep has been very difficult for Angel and I. Especially Angel. I just walked into Angel's room and he is sleeping.  Usually is up waiting for me. I decided to sit over in the corner and blog quietly.

I think I slept pretty good last night.  I was dozing off at 8pm. Ended up calling Anna at nine. She was at church so I could not call her earlier. She loves to keep me on the phone and sadly I kept falling asleep on her.

Angel might be moved to another floor today (out of ICU).  They are also talking about downsizing his trach.

He was just weighed.174lbs which is ten lbs less than when he came in.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Always moving forward...

Things have been going so well lately.  Mornings are so much easier.  I no longer get ready with fear that something may have gone wrong at night.  I guess you can say there is an extra spring in my step as I leave the hotel at 6am.  It is such a relief. 

This morning I arrived to discover that Angel was off the ventilator all night  He was awake and happy to see me.  However, the feeding tube seemed to have stopped working.  Not good for Angel at all. 

Angel has been getting alot of comments regarding how good he looks.  How they are amazed that he is talking. Yesterday, as Dr. Brown and the others were trying to help figure out what Angel could eat that would taste good.. he commented on how happy he was to be having a conversation with Angel.  I don't think Angel will ever truly realize how many people have been thinking and praying for him.

A few highlights about today..
  • no feeding tube (the decided to leave it out and see how he does)
  • he has to eat, eat, eat. 
  • all his meds are now to be taken by mouth..  He did a good job even though it was gross
  • the urine catheter has been removed
  • there is talk that he is moving out of ICU
  • He is now able to talk to his mom and Anna on the phone in the room. 
  • The vice president shared my blog with Dr. Brown.. (wow!)
I feel like there is more.. but I just can't think of anything.  I am kinda falling asleep here.  I am just going to say goodnight and hopefully blog tomorrow. 

Goodnight...

So many changes

Wednesday around 11:30pm, Angel called my cell.  Of course he couldn't talk but I could hear kissing noises.. 

Thursday Angel was able to stand again and even walked in place.  Just incredible.  I am brought to tears each time he does something new.  It is just amazing to me how strong and determined he truly is.

The nutritionist added Metamucil to Angel's daily diet.  This meant that Jason was going to get it through the feeding tube.  No matter how much water Jason used.. there was no way that was going down the tiny tube.  Sure enough he got clogged and had to be removed.  Thankfully the doc today had Angel suck on a water filled sponge squab.  It really helped the tube go down much quicker. 

Later, a speech therapist came in.  She had him swallow some applesauce to see how he did.  He did so well that she decided to do a swallow test later that evening.  I was able to stay through it.  They put a camera down his nose to see where the food went.  It was so interesting to watch.  It also was great to hear that he had passed and was now allowed to have thick liquids and grounded/pureed foods.



Friday the physical therapist set a goal for Angel to get up, walk about two steps to the chair, turn and sit down.   Angel exceeded their expectations.  He did most of the work himself.. and walked forward to the door and back.  Rubi was determined that she was going to let him walk again and she did.  The speech therapist came up and showed Angel some swallowing exercises he could do on his own.  Angel is a bit bored these days and tired with everything he does.  Sadly though, he still does not sleep much at night.  How could I forget!  Today he was able to talk to Anna and his mother on the phone.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

embarrassing moment...

I went downstairs to get my breakfast.  Cereal, banana, milk and yogurt.  I paid for my meal, grabbed my stuff and started walking towards the napkins.. Yogurt container hit the floor..breaks open and makes a mess.  I pick up the big pieces while someone says.. don't worry, I will get someone to clean it up.  I grab a few napkins anyways.. Suddenly this team of nurses comes by.  They had just had a class.  One stands there and yells.. Something spilled!.. Do not walk through here!.. and straddles the mess.  The other nurses all grab napkins and start the clean up process while the first one stands guard.  OMW.. Totally embarrassing but they are all laughing and being so nice.  Turns out the class they got back from was all about how to handle spills.  They thanked me for the hands on experience and insisted I get another yogurt free.  Way too funny.  What a way to start the day.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Huge strides.

Thankfully Angel was back to himself this morning.

Angel is back off the ventilator.

Angel was able to sit up better than yesterday. He even stood up with help! 

The transplant team came in and Angel tearfully thanked them for saving his life.

Just found out the only rehab facilities are in Hartford, New Britain and Wallingford.

Angel said, where he goes, I go.  I wish it was that simple.

Angel pulled out his feeding tube.

I got to stay and watch them put it back in.  It was horrible. Angel made the nurse move so I could grab his hands.

They had to do X-rays to see if tube is in the right place.  It wasn't..so they had to redo and another X-ray. Still waiting on results. It is after midnight and I am tired. 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Today's thoughts....

Monday
Since I am spending more time with Angel, I have a harder time writing a full blog. I am going to use my phone to post random thoughts throughout the day.

This morning Angel was wide awake when I arrived. He doesn't like the night nurse he has had for 3 nights now. He is very irritable.

Angel was able to sit on the side of the bed with the help of 3 physical therapist. Yesterday he was asking me to shut the curtains. When I asked why, he said so I can walk.  It was not til he was helped to sit that he realized how weak he really was. They helped him put on socks and he tried to stand.. it was amazing.

Yesterday he had a panic attack when they put him back on the ventilator. He felt he couldn't breathe.  After that he fell asleep and started dreaming that he was eating. Or maybe he was hallucinating. 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

He speaks!

On Friday, Cesar and Abe came.  Abe was dropping Cesar off to spend the weekend here at the hospital.  Once again, Angel was in the chair sitting up.  However, when they moved him he got a bit anxious and ended up being sedated again.  So he was a bit sleepy.

Friday night we ordered Chinese and ate at the hotel.  I have to admit, it was nice having someone to chat with. 

Yesterday was an exciting day.  Angel was able to have the ventilator removed for a little over 2 hours in the morning.  They put in a speech valve so he could talk.  One of the first things he said was .. "I have a question and I want you to answer."  Ok.  "What happened to the first liver?"  Well this stunned me because I had been careful not to mention it.  Turns out he asked the nurse the night before, some questions and she mentioned the first liver didn't work.  He must have been going nuts trying to find out why. 

Breathing took alot out of him and he tired quickly.  Later they put it on again for another two hours and he gave Cesar a hug.  That made me cry.  Geez.  So emotional lately.  Last night however, Angel had a really hard time sleeping and wanted me to stay with him.  So Cesar went and got some spanish food and I grabbed  a sandwich to eat in his room.  It was a really long day.  I think I crawled into bed around 11pm.  

Friday, May 20, 2011

31 Days

31 Days ago we came here for Angel's liver transplant.  I am still in shock.  Yesterday Angel was amazing.  He was totally himself.  Sitting up in a chair for hours. Asking lots of questions.  Getting frustrated with me for not understanding questions.  stuff like that.  I was expecting it to wear off but it never did.  He was even got upset when I couldn't read his lips.  Poor guy just wants to talk.  Hopefully the trach comes out soon. 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Letters to Angel - You are keeping me busy....

I am so exhausted.  But it is a good exhaustion.  We have been here a month now.  Such  a long time.  On Sunday you were awake most of the day.  I stayed with you all morning.  You were feisty though.  You started to tip your body sideways so you could reach the tube in your nose.  Not a good thing to do at all.

I managed to talk to Neal (your nurse) about letting you see Anna.  When mom and Mike arrived, I went out to greet them.  I called to see if we could go  in.  Neal came on the phone to tell me that you pulled out your GI tube.  So we had to wait longer and when we did go in you were sedated. 

We decided to head over to Friendly's and maybe when we got back you would be awake for Anna.  Steph arrived and ate with us.  She met Mike for the first time and thought he was a trip.  We headed back and tried to see you again.  This time you looked at us but no real reaction.  You were now wearing boxing gloves (so it looked like) to keep your hands off your tube.  You were not happy at all.  Jade couldn't help but laugh and mom said it looked like you were going to punch me.  I decided to stay a bit longer that night.  Just to make sure you were ok.

Monday morning you had moved to a new room!  You went from the Dark Side over to the Light Side (as Tony from respiratory calls it).  Your new room has a window.  Unfortunately it is supposed to rain all week but you can't have everything.

You were more awake than usual.  Keeping me busy again.  The nurses have been letting me stay with you during shift change.  You actually get very anxious to see me now.  Lidia was trying to talk to me outside your door but you were going crazy trying to get me to go in.  You also did very well not pulling out your tubes when I am in the room. 

On Tuesday you had Betty for your nurse.  She had told you a few days earlier not to be giving her the evil eye.  LOL.  I really like her.  She kept me by your side all day.  She also managed to get you into a chair.  She is persistent too.  You also had your staples removed.  I wasn't able to count them all as I was hoping to.

While you have been doing really well, you are also very sleep deprived.  You are not sleeping at night at all.  Wednesday I walked in and saw Rubi downstairs getting coffee..  She said "Guess who I have!"  She then told me she was not letting me or anyone in the room.  You had been sleeping since 4am and she won't even let the other nurses in the room.  She was really nice about it and did let me at least see you.  She had given you something the night before that is apparently for pain but helped you sleep.

When I walked in at 10:30.. It was the real you for maybe 2 hours.  You were still tired but you asked the nurse what was in the syringe she was going to give you.  You were understanding and answering everything very well.  At one point I got teary and you asked me why I was crying.. I said it was good tears.  Slowly throughout the day however you got more confused. Around 2 or so.. diarrhea started and every time they turned you, you looked so scared.

Then another nurse came on at 3-4ish.  She was very slow.  I would say that you needed a bed pan or you needed to be cleaned and it would take forever. I offered to help turn you to the side but nope.. had to be a nurse to do it and it would take her forever to find a nurse. She was so slow that you started to freak from being on your side too long, and the diarrhea was worse each time.  The first change she told me I had to leave.  I looked at her and said.. Everyone else lets me stay.  She didn't argue.  She did however feel the need to medicate you 3 times before even starting to change you. 

She gave you more adavar, more hadol, every time.. and you just got worse and worse

at 7.. You were so restless and trying to get out of bed every 10 mins.  I was calming you, cold cloth everything I could to keep you calm.  She looked at me and said I had to leave.. I told her I will be back at 8:30.. I can't leave him like this. She said.. why don't you stay.  I have another patient and I can't keep watching him.  So I stayed.
I was asking questions. I asked some questions about the possibility of the adavar and hadol making it worse. She ended up getting the doctor on call, who came and talked to me about what I have been noticing.  They didn't want to give him what he got the night before because it is for pain and you kept saying you weren't in pain.  Well, you shot up again, trying to get up.. and I said .. are you in pain!  and you finally shook yes! The Doc was standing right there, so they gave you the meds and I stayed until you fell asleep.


Today you seem calmer and sleepy.  I am praying you have a better day.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Letters to Angel - You are awake!

You have been awake for the past two days now.  You are more focused and trying to talk and communicate.  I just love seeing your normal facial expressions now.  I can't wait to hear your voice again.  It is amazing how much I miss hearing you.  Every night when I get back to the hotel, I think, who can I call.  I immediately want to call you.  But then quickly realize I can't do that.  I just miss talking with you so much.

You are doing well.  Liver and kidneys are working great.  Your fever was down until yesterday.  No one has a clue what is going on with that.  You are now watching tv and smiling at the doctors when they come in.  You are also responding much quicker when they ask you a question.

The last time I posted here, I was very frustrated.  That day you ended up sleeping all day.  That night Laurie Collins called.  Such perfect timing.  We talked alot about nurses and hospitals.  If anyone would understand how I felt, it was her. 

However, I must say I did like the nurses from yesterday and the day before.  Lisa (who you will also have today) takes the extra time to figure out what you want.  When you reached up towards your face, she knew you were itchy and didn't assume you were going to pull out the nose tubes.  She laughed when she went to wash your face and you reacted like a cat needing a good scratch under the chin.  She marveled at how good you look compared to when you first came in.  

Yesterday you had Neal.  He would also try and see how you were feeling.  He even took the time to ask me what I thought.  "What does he look like to you?  Does he look like he is in pain?"  I told him no.. It looked like you wanted to get up and stretch your back and neck, and even your legs.  You look so uncomfortable no matter how many positions they put you in.

Well today is a new day and I am looking forward to sitting with you again.  Tomorrow Anna, mom and Mike are coming to see you and visit with me.  I am trying to tell myself it is ok if I spend a few hours with them and not by your side tomorrow.  Anna misses you so much and is really hoping they will let her in even though she isn't twelve yet.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

So frustrating!

I am extremely agitated today.  I will explain why but first I am going to rewind to yesterday. 

Morning started off great.  I walked in to Angel's room and he was awake.  I said to him.  "Hi Honey!  Do you know where you are?"  Well I got the look from Angel that said.. What kind of a stupid question is that?!  I had never been so happy to see that look.  Sadly, it didn't last long because he started to seem confused again. During shift change, I grabbed lunch and headed back in at 9.  Angel was sitting on a special chair.  He was sitting there for about an hour and they moved him back to the bed.

I spent all morning trying to be pro-active and prevent irritation on his part.  He would make scratching motions with his hands and I would scratch his beard.  He would try moving his legs and I would exercise them.  It all seemed to help.  At one point he started to get really agitated again and I asked him a round of questions.  "Are you in pain?"  No Response.  Then as I wanted him moving his bottom half of his body off the bed like yesterday, I asked.. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?"  He nodded his head viciously.  I told the respiratory guy and he asked the same.. Angel once again nodded his head.  I felt really good that I was right the other day.  I was being proactive and it helped alot.

A psychiatrist came to see Angel and Angel smiled at him.   They decided to change one of his meds. 

Well something happened around 3pm.  Angel was sleeping and I noticed that his bp was going up.  Suddenly he woke up agitated.  Really agitated.  I just couldn't calm him at all.  I asked all the questions again.  No answer.  Another nurse came in and gave him some meds.  It didn't work.  She asked him. "Are you scared?"  He nodded viciously.  Then he gave this look like he was about to cry.  OMW  It was just awful.  At that time Debbie from the transplant team, came in.  She even tried.  Finally Rebbecca (a nurse) looked at me and said .. I need to you to leave.  So I did.  Debbie told me to take a walk with her and she walked me right out of the hospital to sit on the bench.  I had no clue I was shaking so bad.  I did cry also of course.  Debbie talked with me for a long time.

Since Angel was now sedated, there wasn't much to do in the room but read and watch tv.

Steph came last night with new ear buds!  So now I can hear a bit better.  We had a nice time chatting and she got my mind off things. 

Now this morning, I walk in at 6:30 and Angel is awake and watching tv.  He still isn't acting completely normal but he is awake.  He was following commands.  His eyes even followed mine to the clock on the other side of the room.  His bp was up and down but Lidia (night nurse) would tell him to calm down and he would nod and try.  He was doing awesome. 

During shift change, I didn't leave right away because I just didn't want to leave him alone while awake.  He started coughing and had saliva all in his mouth.  He got very anxious and I called for someone to suction him.  When the nurse came with the suction he practically leapt at it.  She thought she had it all and walked away but he got really upset and kept pointing to his mouth.  I asked if he had more and he nodded.  At that point Rebecca and Denise showed up and I told them.. so Denise suctioned him until he was satisfied.. however, they started back up the propofol.  I really wish they didn't have to do that.  I didn't ask why because technically I wasn't even supposed to be there.  He was off the Propofol since midnight and was doing great.

This is so Frustrating!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Just Another Manic Monday...

Know how I just mentioned that my ear bud has one side that works.  Nope.  That stopped this morning.  Now I have no choice but to wear the oversized one.. which is now killing my ear.  I can't even wear it in the right ear.  Won't stay in at all.

This morning, I went in to see Angel and he was sleeping.  After breakfast I was happy to discover Chris was his nurse of the day (I have a few favorites).  Angel was wide away and calm.  Even after being suctioned and coughing he was able to calm himself.  Etna, the cleaning lady came in and said.. You are looking great and he smiled at her.  I big smile.  He smiled at Chris too.  It was awesome to see.

News from the doc was that his liver was good, kidney numbers were looking great.  They were thinking about no sedation and maybe getting him off the ventilator today or tomorrow.  The only thing mentioned was that he had blood in his bile tube yesterday and Dr. Swales wanted to take a quick look to make sure nothiing was up.  

Somewhere around 11:30 It was time to reposition him a bit.  Chris and another nurse did that, then they suctioned him because was coughing, well suddenly he went nuts!!  Another nurse and I spent some time holding him down.  He was going to fling himself off that bed.  They finally had no choice but to sedate him.  I just remember looking at the monitor and seeing his blood pressure above 400.  Scary stuff!! I do believe I know what got him going and the doctor did ask my thoughts on it.  He had made a mess (if you know what I mean) and he looked as if he was trying to fling the bottom half of his body off the mess.  The last time I saw him freak like that he had done a mess shortly before also. 

Around lunch I decided to go looking for ear buds.  No one has them.  Chris even gave me some hospital ones and they didn't work, the sound was too low.  So I have no choice but to deal with it. Steph texted me that she picked up some ear buds at Walmart and would bring them tomorrow evening.  Honestly, what would I do without her.  Now I just have to hang in there til tomorrow evening  


So due to the events of the day, Angel is having a minor setback.  They are going to review tomorrow and decide where to go from there.  They did do an endoscopy and found a small tear that is caused from retching or severe coughing.  It will heal on it's own. 

Well, tomorrow comes quickly and I am falling asleep at the keyboard.  Time to go!