My next round of tests is tomorrow. Bright and early!
You know, its really the needles that get me. I guess this is covered under the grin-and-bear-it clause of life. If you don't grin, you might not be able to bear it!
Thank goodness I have a few good things to look forward to: Kelly is in town this weekend, and I am hoping to feel good enough to go out with her for a coffee. It is truly one of our favorite things to do, and I am looking forward to returning to MI so that we can spend more time together visiting, shopping, and doing other girly things.
The first truckload of our belongings is back in MI now, with great thanks to Paul and the Booles for their aid in getting us relocated back in our old home. Todd is a workhorse, and has pretty much moved all of the 10 tons of stuff on his own back. Tons of thanks also to Todd's Parents and brother Joel for their help unpacking at that end.
Todd will be driving up this weekend to MI, barring anything unfortunate from the doctor's tests, so life will be returning to normal for us soon.
Cheers!
Gracie
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Tink?
This has got to be one of my favorite photos of all time. This Britton (3 years old) doing her best Tinkerbell imitation. Well, actually this is her "someone said no to me" face, but it will do.It is Almost Impossible to Share Revelation
Ever have a "light bulb" moment?
You know the one - like going to an eye exam, and discovering that when you look through a particular lens, that everything you see is brighter, sharper, more clear?
Robin Trombley has struggled with his own medical problems for several years, and as I watched him navigate his personal trials, I often thought to myself, "How would I feel if it were me?" I found my personal bank of experience served poorly to help me understand his plight.
However...
Today, Robin was so kind as to post a comment on this blog, and suddenly, I grokked it (Heinlein fans would understand). No amount of imagining, no amount of discussion with Robin in the past, could prepare me for where I was at this moment; and yet it took this journey to this time and place for me to understand where he had been.
Language is inadequate to communicate revelation.
Life is short.
Everyone dies.
Live each day as if it were your last.
Better to have love and lost than never to have loved at all.
All incredible wisdom. So sad that the best way to feel the ring of truth of these bits of advice is through personal loss.
You know the one - like going to an eye exam, and discovering that when you look through a particular lens, that everything you see is brighter, sharper, more clear?
Robin Trombley has struggled with his own medical problems for several years, and as I watched him navigate his personal trials, I often thought to myself, "How would I feel if it were me?" I found my personal bank of experience served poorly to help me understand his plight.
However...
Today, Robin was so kind as to post a comment on this blog, and suddenly, I grokked it (Heinlein fans would understand). No amount of imagining, no amount of discussion with Robin in the past, could prepare me for where I was at this moment; and yet it took this journey to this time and place for me to understand where he had been.
Language is inadequate to communicate revelation.
Life is short.
Everyone dies.
Live each day as if it were your last.
Better to have love and lost than never to have loved at all.
All incredible wisdom. So sad that the best way to feel the ring of truth of these bits of advice is through personal loss.
Free 25% Off Coupon to Borders/Waldenbooks!
I love to read. I buy books as much as I can, and I belong to all the clubs that get me a discount. Here is a coupon you can use until 7/15. It will give you 25% off any book from Borders aka Waldenbooks.
http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/coupon_0712.htm
Love you all!
Gracie
http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/coupon_0712.htm
Love you all!
Gracie
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
You NEVER Want the ER Staff to be Nice to You
LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED LATELY:
So the moral of my medical story is . . .
You do not want the ER staff to be nice to you. Ever.
To go back to the beginning, PAIN.
Any of you who have ever had a Migraine will vouch that they can be the most painful things in the world (and I have had 3 REALLY long labors, so I am speaking with some authority on the subject). I, among millions, suffer from chronic migraines, but when the pain gets too intense, and the medications they prescribe aren't enough, the hospital can help.
So there I am, flying down the highway in Todd's brand new car, puking out the window as he rushes to the hospital. How terribly glamorous. He arrives, drops me at the ER door, and goes to park.
Cape Fear Valley Hospital serves Fayetteville, the 4th largest city in the state of NC. This is NOT a small hospital. As I stagger forward, I make note of the fact that the line for the ER stretches out the door. All I can think about is the cool medicinal relief that awaits inside. One of the helpful volunteer workers rushes a wheelchair out to me (do I really look that much worse than everyone else in this line?) and hustles me inside.
So, you can't hold a decent conversation while crying. Sobbing is even worse. I was wheeled directly to the nurse's station (certainly I couldn't look as bad as all that, could I?) and my temperature and BP measured. Todd finally returns to translate my sobbing answers to the helpful nurse, and he informs her that the parking lot for ER is overflowing. Wow, what a great day to have a migraine.
Our nurse recommends a CT scan. So we wait in the hallway of the ER for our turn. To my joy, I get to hold my vomit in my portable container, while listening to a drunk homeless veteran blame all the world's ills on all those "Damn New York Yankees."
LIGHTS. DRUNK GUY SCREAMING. PAIN. Oh, im gonna be sick again.
It takes about 15 minutes to get me my CT scan. Todd watches over the technician's shoulder as he mutters "hmmm, that's strange." You never want to be strange, in the ER.
I get wheeled into the back, and the nurse (who suddenly became very nice) has a hurried conversation with the attending. I see them gesture urgently, then kick someone else out of the only trauma room in the ER ~ an honest to god room with solid walls and no sheet dividers. All four ER doctors on the whole floor come into my room. A doc even ran my IV.
The ER Doctors smiled at me reassuringly. It was then I realized: you DO NOT want ER Docs to be nice to you. You want them to be brash, dissatisfied with the importance of your injury. You WANT them to walk away shaking their head at you for wasting their time.
To make an ER doctor feel truly useful, one must have something sufficiently wrong with them to warrent their attention. You know, an eyeball popped out, a limb chopped off. . . or blood in your brain. They were thrilled.
To make a long story short, after calling in Neurosurgeons and Cardiologists, they sent me to Intensive Care, which is a whole different story.
So the moral of my medical story is . . .
You do not want the ER staff to be nice to you. Ever.
To go back to the beginning, PAIN.
Any of you who have ever had a Migraine will vouch that they can be the most painful things in the world (and I have had 3 REALLY long labors, so I am speaking with some authority on the subject). I, among millions, suffer from chronic migraines, but when the pain gets too intense, and the medications they prescribe aren't enough, the hospital can help.
So there I am, flying down the highway in Todd's brand new car, puking out the window as he rushes to the hospital. How terribly glamorous. He arrives, drops me at the ER door, and goes to park.
Cape Fear Valley Hospital serves Fayetteville, the 4th largest city in the state of NC. This is NOT a small hospital. As I stagger forward, I make note of the fact that the line for the ER stretches out the door. All I can think about is the cool medicinal relief that awaits inside. One of the helpful volunteer workers rushes a wheelchair out to me (do I really look that much worse than everyone else in this line?) and hustles me inside.
So, you can't hold a decent conversation while crying. Sobbing is even worse. I was wheeled directly to the nurse's station (certainly I couldn't look as bad as all that, could I?) and my temperature and BP measured. Todd finally returns to translate my sobbing answers to the helpful nurse, and he informs her that the parking lot for ER is overflowing. Wow, what a great day to have a migraine.
Our nurse recommends a CT scan. So we wait in the hallway of the ER for our turn. To my joy, I get to hold my vomit in my portable container, while listening to a drunk homeless veteran blame all the world's ills on all those "Damn New York Yankees."
LIGHTS. DRUNK GUY SCREAMING. PAIN. Oh, im gonna be sick again.
It takes about 15 minutes to get me my CT scan. Todd watches over the technician's shoulder as he mutters "hmmm, that's strange." You never want to be strange, in the ER.
I get wheeled into the back, and the nurse (who suddenly became very nice) has a hurried conversation with the attending. I see them gesture urgently, then kick someone else out of the only trauma room in the ER ~ an honest to god room with solid walls and no sheet dividers. All four ER doctors on the whole floor come into my room. A doc even ran my IV.
The ER Doctors smiled at me reassuringly. It was then I realized: you DO NOT want ER Docs to be nice to you. You want them to be brash, dissatisfied with the importance of your injury. You WANT them to walk away shaking their head at you for wasting their time.
To make an ER doctor feel truly useful, one must have something sufficiently wrong with them to warrent their attention. You know, an eyeball popped out, a limb chopped off. . . or blood in your brain. They were thrilled.
To make a long story short, after calling in Neurosurgeons and Cardiologists, they sent me to Intensive Care, which is a whole different story.
Stone Manor
The house we currently live in was built by Grace's Great- Grandmother in the 1920s. It measures around 7000 sq. ft, and is palacial.
Constructed mostly from granite, this house is painted on the inside with murals, and is generally very over-the-top for a typical family of 5.
It has been great living in this wonderful Historic Home, but we are ready to spend more time in a house that less resembles a museum.
Grace & Todd Announce Plans to Move Back to MI
So, we are moving back.
Mom and Dad Parker are doing better, and the Fayetteville House that we have been caring for will be sold soon, so Todd and I decided it would be best to get back to our house in MI until the housing market improves.
Grace loves the weather down here in NC, and will be terribly sad to return to dreary gray days and snow, but both we both miss our friends and family in MI terribly, and will be happy to see them all again.
Todd is happy to be returning to MI, with a new CCNA cert under his belt. Currently attending Eastern Carolina University, Todd will be enrolling in more classes to get his CCNP and hopefully well on his way to a new career. Because we ALL know how wonderful the Engineering Market is for MI right now.
We miss you all, and hope you will tune in for more of the Martin Family Saga as it continues.
Mom and Dad Parker are doing better, and the Fayetteville House that we have been caring for will be sold soon, so Todd and I decided it would be best to get back to our house in MI until the housing market improves.
Grace loves the weather down here in NC, and will be terribly sad to return to dreary gray days and snow, but both we both miss our friends and family in MI terribly, and will be happy to see them all again.
Todd is happy to be returning to MI, with a new CCNA cert under his belt. Currently attending Eastern Carolina University, Todd will be enrolling in more classes to get his CCNP and hopefully well on his way to a new career. Because we ALL know how wonderful the Engineering Market is for MI right now.
We miss you all, and hope you will tune in for more of the Martin Family Saga as it continues.
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