Good Friday Fragments

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You know what I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around?
The fact that my son, my firstborn child, turns 20 tomorrow.  TWENTY.  That alone is mind-blowing, but here's the kicker - when I was twenty, I had just given birth to him!  He was about 6 weeks old on my twentieth birthday.
Mind=blown.

My dad's surgery got postponed from this past Tuesday till today (Friday).  Of course, I have a doctor's appointment and other important stuff that I have to do today. But - I'll get it all done and spend as much time as possible at the possible and IT WILL BE OKAY.  REPEAT AFTER ME.  IT WILL BE OKAY.

When the aforementioned TWENTY YEAR OLD Tim was just a sweet tiny tot, he had several surgeries; tubes in his ears twice, tonsils and adenoids removed, and then the big one, brain surgery.  Back when his very first surgery ever was scheduled I was beside myself; I knew the tubes were a 'minor surgery' but when it involved my baby boy going under, it didn't feel minor.  Well, the surgeon's office called the week before the surgery and informed me that they were going to postpone the surgery due to the doctor's schedule and I promptly burst into tears.  I felt like I could not go an extra MINUTE worrying, I needed it OVER AND DONE.  I am not usually a crier at all, especially around strangers.  The nice doctor's office lately said, "Um, hold on just a minute", and then came back to the phone and told me "Never mind, your son's surgery will proceed as scheduled." Score one for the hysterical crying Mama!  I told my mom she should've tried that when they rescheduled my dad's surgery......

I'm not trying to make you jealous or anything, but my husband puts the toilet seat down AND changes the toilet paper roll.  He also takes the trash out....AND puts a new trash bag in the can.  All of this without being asked, much less nagged.  Back off ladies, he's taken.

Looks like our Easter is shaping up to be a good one!  I originally figured we wouldn't do much of anything.  Instead, provided my Dad is recovering well, we're having a bunch of people over from both our families for a combination Easter/Tim's birthday celebration.  It will be fun celebrating with my great-niece Hayleigh, who is one year old!

Speaking of families  -  Byron's family and mine blend together so well.  Tonight my brother arrived in town for Dad's surgery, and we all met at a local pizza place for dinner.  At the last minute we invited my Mother-in-Law to join us.  She did, and we all had a great time.  It doesn't feel awkward at all for both families to be together, and I love that.  Same goes for Byron's son Tyler, and Tyler's girlfriend.  I love hanging out with all of them!

I post both of these every Easter - I just love 'em!

This goes out to my son; no matter how many birthdays he has, he'll always be MY baby!

And don't forget to visit Mrs 4444 for more Friday Fragments!

Thank You Fragments

I seriously MUST have the most supportive, loving friends in the whole blogosphere, and I can't thank you enough.  Y'all are awesome.  I love you.  From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.

I can't express how good it feels to close one sad chapter and start a new, wonderful one...and I truly believe this one is my happy ending.  I intend to elaborate on that more later this week. Stay tuned....


If you haven't tuned in all week....be sure and read back a few posts.  It's been an eventful week.  I got married, and stuff.

I've told y'all before and I'll tell y'all again.  My job kicks my ass.  I also have some amazing co-workers who build me up and keep me going.  We truly care about our patients and giving them the absolute best care possible, and that feels SO good.

My father - who turned 76 today (Thursday), is having open heart bypass surgery on Tuesday.  I JUST posted about it on Facebook and I'm sitting here in tears over the support and prayers that are now coming my way.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

If ONE MORE OF YOU comment on my post about my dad before I finish this post I'm going to absolutely collapse in tears.

I am having another great-NIECE.  I totally confess to hoping for a BOY but I am absolutely ecstatic about having another great niece to spoil!  It's a win/win for me.

This weekend will be filled with baseball and family.  I hope you enjoy yours as much as I intend to enjoy mine!!!

Things that will rock your world

~~ A text from your mom at 3 a.m. saying your dad was taken to the hospital by ambulance and is being admitted.

~~ When your dad is a patient at the hospital where you work, and someone calls a code blue.  (NOT for him, thank God, but my heart skipped several beats.)

My whole life has turned upside down since last Friday, as has my whole family's.  While I'm at work in my rare free moments, I'm running down two floors to check on my dad and take coffee to my mom.  When I get off, I go take care of their dog, who is absolutely beside himself without his 'people'.  Then I still have my own household to take care of, including my sweet man who will literally (and cheerfully) eat chips and cookies and call that dinner if I don't cook.
I have to feed people.  I've told y'all before - I'm a Southern Mama.  It's what I do.
I still have to go to the grocery store, and clean the house, and work full time (in fact, this week, overtime - we're short-handed).  I'm fielding calls from relatives (some we haven't heard from in years - so annoying) and trying to be there when the doctors come in so I can attempt to translate for my parents what I can understand.  I must say, the doctors have been wonderful;  patient and never rushed.  I am incredibly glad that he is being treated at 'my' hospital, because that way I'm there and can stop in often, before work, during work, and when I get off.

Oh and occasionally? I get to sleep a little.

The good news is, the tests did not show any cancer or serious gastric problems.  He is, however, facing two very serious surgeries; one to clear up the blockage in his carotid arteries and then about a week later, a heart bypass surgery.

He has a lot of heart problems.

He is seventy-six years old.

This is some scary shit, y'all  

I have so many random thoughts going through my head but these are the ones that I'm able to get typed out coherently.

Two Year Surgiversary

A look back
If you are newer to my blog, you may not know something about me.
Something big. Literally. heh. Something life-changing.
On February 26th, 2008, I had weight loss surgery. Gastric bypass surgery, to be specific.
It's been just over two years since my surgery. And if you click the link above, "A look back", you can read more about my decision to have the surgery, and the weight loss journey that followed, including some before & after pics. Unfortunately, some of the updates were posted on a weight loss blog which has since been deleted, but there were quite a few posted here as well. I had multiple reasons why I made this choice, and I did a ton of research before making the decision. You can read about that in the previous posts, and I am totally open to questions.
But today I'm posting about, well, today.
I feel absolutely wonderful. Better than I have probably since I was a child or young teenager. Physically, and emotionally. This surgery was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Also, my immune system is working better than ever. I used to be the person who caught everything. If a sick person came within a mile of me, I caught it! Now, it's the opposite. At Christmas time, a stomach virus ran through the family....everyone caught it but me. They all pass colds around, I somehow manage to avoid it. I very rarely get sick any more...and I work in a hospital, germ central station! (now you KNOW since I'm posting this I'm going to catch ebola or something....)
There are many risks that go along with this surgery, but at this point, I have had no serious problems. I had to learn a new way to eat, and with that comes some trials and errors, but you live and learn. I can eat almost anything I want, but in small portions. However, some things - ALWAYS unhealthy things - make me feel ill, especially if I overdo it. I feel great when I eat right.
Every day I take a multivitamin, calcium, and iron, per doctor's orders. I also take fish oil, per my choice. I may need Vitamin B12 shots down the road but so far my bloodwork has been fine. (if I do need the shots, it's not a big deal to me, I don't have a problem with needles/shots.)
I eat several times a day, small meals, small portions. I concentrate on getting in a good amount of protein, because my protein needs are greater now and I am not a fan of protein shakes/supplements. (ick!) Protein is found in so many foods, and foods that I like, so I don't feel that it's necessary for me to choke down the supplements. I eat the same things that my family eats, but in smaller portions, and I make sure to eat my meat/protein first, then veggies, then if I have room I eat bread/carbs.
I have more energy, and so much more confidence. I am treated different, especially professionally. I am more respected now, which gives me mixed emotions. Naturally, I appreciate being respected and treated well, but at the same time, it makes me sad for that overweight girl I used to be. I'm still the same person, with the same knowledge and abilities, but now I'm treated better only because I am no longer obese. It's not fair.
I could post on and on about this, but instead I'll close; but again, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thankful Thursday 3.6.2008

From Another Chance Ranch

Today has been a little rough for me. I am on day 11 of nothing but "full liquids" and I.am.so.sick.of.it.!!! I just want to fast forward....just a little while!
But Mr Wonderful......he makes it all better.
He was so worried about me tonight, and kept trying to say encouraging things, while I curled up in the fetal position on the sofa, full of self-pity. I refused to eat (really, drink) any of the crap I've been "eating" for the last 11 days. Broth, jello, pudding. Blech! I've had enough!
He kept begging me to eat, and then finally made me some egg drop soup. (which had to be STRAINED in a fine mesh strainer. blech blech blech) I told him it was good. It kind of tasted like eggie water. But I love him so much, and he rocks for all that he does for me.
I have no idea how I'd have gotten through this surgery without him, truly. And as much as I know the whole procedure terrified him, he was so wonderful. Supportive, encouraging, and helpful. He is my rock, my cheerleader, my biggest fan, and my best friend. He has done everything while I was recovering, and encouraged me to do absolutely nothing. For the most part, I needed very little encouragement for that! It's been nice to kick back and be taken care of by the man who God put on this Earth for ME.
I am so thankful for my husband!

~Thankful Thursday~

I'm a little late, but I'm posting my Thankful Thursday any way, because I want to. I really like Thankful Thursday posts, and they way they make me think about what I'm thankful for even more than I normally would.
This Thursday, I am thankful for my job.
For a very long time, I've known that I wanted to work in the medical field. When I had children and started taking them to the pediatrician (all the freakin' time, it seemed like!), my interest really intensified. I was always floored when my friends told me their kids were sick but they couldn't remember the medications they were on or even the name of the diagnosis. I soaked in all of that like a sponge. After a while, when the kiddos got sick, I could diagnosis them and predict what meds they'd be given with amazing accuracy. If I had a prescription pad, I could've skipped the ped visits altogether! (I kid, I kid)
I myself have spent some time in the hospital; appendicitis when I was 9, major leg surgery when I was 11 after running into a glass door, and severe pneumonia when I was 13. Then, I had 3 c-sections. I've done my hospital and doctor time!
Then I had kids. My girls have always been pretty healthy, other than the normal kid stuff. But that son of mine! Tubes in his ears twice, tonsils & adenoids removed, and he banged himself up hard enough 3 times to warrant ER visits and staples or glue. And then, his Chiari decompression surgery.
Naturally, at this point, hospitals are like a second home to me.
So, at last, in October of 2006, I got a job at the biggest hospital in our town. It's a very well-known hospital and people travel from all over the place to come here. I love working here. I love saying I work here. I love almost everything about it.
I love working nights. I love the majority of my co-workers. I love what I do, and what I help others do.
And the benefits are great. The health insurance is enabling me to get my gastric bypass surgery. I can't say enough about how thankful I am to have that. Many policies exclude this surgery or make it VERY hard to get aproved. Not mine.
We get prescription discounts and they will payroll-deduct your meds. We get silly things like theme park discounts, and they payroll-deduct that, too. I love me some payroll deduction! I swear one day, I'll have no paycheck at all because I'll have already spent it. Woops!
Being here today for all of my pre-op stuff, I LOVED the feeling that I belong here. I'm 'one of them'. I'm not an outsider. And when I'm here post-op, I'll get a private room, and VIP treatment. Woot! Some of the fees and co-pays are waived, as well.
And one more thing.........they will send me to college and pay for everything, as long as it's a medical field. So hopefully, after I recover from surgery, I will be enrolling in school. I have some prerequisites to get out of the way, and then I'll start nursing school. During that time, I will work only 20 hours per week, but I will get paid for 40 hours a week. Just one more benefit of the job.
I love my job.