May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 4

[nskjerven]

Quick note from me tonight as we are up early (6:30am) and out the door for Wilson to have surgery to have his tubes (from his ears) removed. The procedure is nothing to worry about, should take all of 10 minutes, but nonetheless I'm a basket case tonight. Worried to death over my little guy having to go under anesthesia and maybe he will have to get an IV line this time since he may need more drugs on the table (better safe than sorry).

This is the 4th time for him to have to go under. First 2 times to get tubes (the kind that fall out on their own) and then the 3rd time for the stay in kind, that last operation was in 2003. He has grown and now the tubes have to be removed. I hope and pray that the ear infections won't return and that his body and ears are big enough now to drain like normal.

I've been crabby all afternoon so afraid of the worst, didn't eat dinner and I've been hiding at my desk all night to avoid tearing Paul's head off again. (That's what I do when I'm worried or scared) I need to go in the house, eat something and go to bed.

Please send me some prayers for sleep for all of us tonight and care for his surgeon tomorrow and some extra for me to not be so crabby when I'm scared.

Thanks for letting me vent, I'll check in tomorrow we should be home around 10 am our time.

Nan

 

[MrsMork]

so now...John wants to be top 5 (he was 23 overall yesterday) and do the Olympic distance race....big dreams..

Yay, Johnny!!

 

[been2marceline]

Your wish is my command!!

And my command is your wish!!

Just kidding! Thank you VERY much. Now if it could just magically appear in my driveway, no strings attached...

When I dream, I dream BIG!!

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

Lisa/DisneyLover5....what do I do? Please help! It's mom again...she has now been out of the hospital for about a month and she's feeling well again...so she cut me off...she won't take my help anymore with the followup doctors appoinments. From going to all the specialists we figured out that the low blood count is caused by the kidneys, the renal failure is caused by dehydration, the dehydration is caused by dysentery. She is seeing all the doctors except the gastroenterologist. This is the key to all the other problems. She must see this doctor or else she will end up back in the hospital again. She won't let me help anymore and she's procrastinating taking care of it herself. In the meantime, she's loosing too much weight. She went from 115 to 103 in one week and that was a week ago. She's probably under 100 lbs. now. Also, every time she goes into renal failure it's taxing on her heart. Last time she had a heart attack too.

I have two choices, make the appointment myself and drag her there and let her be mad at me or leave her alone and let her end up back in the hospital again.

I know you're in a similar situation with your mom. What would you do?

If anyone has any suggestions to help, I'm eager to listen.

Deb,

I SO feel for you! I did not have to deal with these situations with my parents, but with both Grandmothers we had to take drastic steps and remove them from their independent environments. This is SO hard to do, but simply had to be done.

Also, when my mom, who suffered from renal failure and diabetes, levels got off she would have issues with being clear about her care. I was with her every day, and she depended on that, so I was able to monitor how her mental state was. She was also a very different person from her own mom who was fiercely independent and ended up severely dehydrated and in the hospital because she would not allow us to move her closer to us or put her in an assisted living place.

As hard as it will be for you to do, because you strike me as such a kind, caring and truly sweet person (like my mom was,) you will have to get tough with her and make her realize that the alternative, other than death, is her complete lack of independence. Her doctors "should" be able to assist with this.

My best to you, my heart goes out to you and I am sending lots of and

It is so hard to deal with the decline of those that we love so much! We become the parents and the decisions are so tough. Hang in there, and follow your heart as well.

XO

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

Mom and I have been fighting about 2 weeks about going back to the doctor. She is now under 100 pounds as well. Her insides are working very well, so she she does not the same problems as your mom does.

My mom suffers from unbelieveable pain from 8 broken backs and 2 torn rotater cuffs and very old knees.

I don't know about your mom, but my mom is of very sound mind. I could never convience a judge that she needed a care taker. She is just (at least I thought this till I read your troubles) the most stubborn woman on earth.

She is also afraid of doctors. They intimidate her. Her main doctor sees her every 4 months......I really like him and he is married to a high school friend of mine....and he has 10 kids. She does not like him....mostly because he does not sit down with her for an hour and chat. (Medicare makes it so the doctors have to see as many patients an hour as possible). He says things like "your doing great considering your age" (makes her really mad).

The knee doctor pretty much blows her off.....(we have had her knee xrays looked at by 4 different doctors and they all say the same thing....looks like knees of a 40 year old).....no one can tell her why they hurt so much.

The back doctor is worthless......

The rotator cuff doctor (this is a new injury ... 6 months ago) my mom really liked him.....I mean really liked him.

I tell you all of this, because that is my key....the fact that she likes him and he does not intimidate her. So TODAY finally, she told me I can make an appointment with him and she is going to tell him all the other doctors are hogwash.....(she will most likely use a word I can not use here )

Pain management seems to be all they will offer.......and pain management does not work very well and I know she is hurting. She can not even put curlers in her hair anymore. She never goes and gets her hair done anymore.

She has done the shots of cortizone....they last about 3 weeks....and she can only have one every 4 months....

You are in a very tough spot. If she were my mom, I would drag her.....otherwise she will die and you will feel terrible.....at least if you give your best shot, you can be a peace with yourself.

Maybe try a new doctor....or at least talk to your mom about why she won't go.... (my mom won't because she says they are all ba****ds)....my kids yell at her to stop talking like that

Sorry to be so long winded.....you are in a very tough spot......just do your best so you can be at peace with yourself, whatever you find that is....

Lisa,

Your mom sounds exactly like my Grandmother on my mom's side. She was SO stubborn. Only listened to me in her later years, not sure why, but she put the "S" in stubborn and the "I" in impatient! But I loved her lot's and she lived to be 95!!

Best of luck to both you and Deb in these difficult times with your mom's...

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend. I went scrapbooking with my girlfriends for the weekend, which was fun. I see we weren't super chatty, which was good for me so that I didn't have too much to catch up on. Thanks for being so considerate....

Living vivaciously through you! Would love to take a group scrapbooking, but it will be awhile... too busy with the new shop to go on scrapbooking weekends, but we do have DL in 10 days!!!

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

My favorite place at MSU (son went there for the Spartan Debate Camp two years in a row) the dairy building where you can buy the ice cream they make right on campus. DELICIOUS!

YUM!!!

Ice cream is absolutely my BIGGEST vice!!! It is the hardest thing for me to say NO to, and I rarely do, but I should say no more often!!!

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

Are you calling me a baby????

I remember listening to my friends sisters' music (they were the "older" ones) and that IS where I was introduced to the Beatles.

I think for now I will take baby as a compliment.

DITTO!!

I even absconded with all of my sisters Beatles albums!

DD has been taught well, the Beatles top her list of favorite bands!! She also likes Elvis and Simon and Garfunkel!

Of course, many of the "new sounds" are working their way into her "tween" world... oh well, more for me to learn about!

Karen

 

[NotSoLittleMermaid]

Quick note from me tonight as we are up early (6:30am) and out the door for Wilson to have surgery to have his tubes (from his ears) removed.....

Please send me some prayers for sleep for all of us tonight and care for his surgeon tomorrow and some extra for me to not be so crabby when I'm scared.
Nan

Hi Nan,
I'll send prayers for your family and the doctors as soon as I finish typing this.

 

[been2marceline]

I'm glad Samantha's interviews all went well, but what a load of BS she has to deal with at school! I really hope it all works out for her. No fun for her to have to try to figure out what to do....poor kid.

Noel,

I agree with Holly! What a bunch of CRAP!! Of course, studies abroad...

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

Please send me some prayers for sleep for all of us tonight and care for his surgeon tomorrow and some extra for me to not be so crabby when I'm scared.

Thanks for letting me vent, I'll check in tomorrow we should be home around 10 am our time.

Nan

Hey Nan,

You WILL be sleeping like a baby as I type this, but sweet dreams and NO WORRIES!!

One of my BF's went through this with all 3 of her sons!! They also ALL had to have their adenoids removed. They are all happy and healthy and the youngest is a model for Pottery Barn Kids and Mervyns!

So, just relax, breath deeply and don't worry, be happy!!

Karen

 

[been2marceline]

All alone again...

Digga dang, digga dang!

Off to bed! Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!

Karen

 

[HollyTyler]

Hi Nan,
I'll send prayers for your family and the doctors as soon as I finish typing this.

Ditto!

 

[disneylover5]

Samantha's interviews have all gone very well. Now, all the companies are asking for writing samples based on summarizing articles.

Bad new came today for Samantha. She is still scrambling to make up the 3 units for the one class the professor told her she needed to withdraw from even though he had originally told her she could miss three classes. The first three classes conflicted with her intersession class so she was unable to attend.

Her professor now says by missing the three classes he will fail her even if she turns in the work. Of course, it is his word against hers as she does not have an email trail. Life lesson for her is make sure there is an email trail!!

Professor's email is as follows:

Hello Samantha,

I notice you are still on the class roster online. But you have missed
three classes, and now you must withdraw. If you remain, you will
flunk, no matter what you turn in. The class has not happened for you.

Fred

Her only options at this point according to the Chairman of the Department are as follows:

Dear Samantha,
After reading your letter and reviewing your DARS record, it seems to
me that you have three choices:

1) Change your English major to an English minor, which would allow
you to graduate this May and walk in commencement with no further
paperwork necessary beyond changing the major to a minor.

2) Find an upper-division English literature course in Northern
California, have it approved for transfer to USD; you would need to
file the Transfer of Credit, also a Waiver of Residency requirement
for your last 3 units, and then, if you wanted to walk in
commencement, you would have to make a further, special request to
be allowed to participate in commencement even though your last three
units were not taken at USD. (Under the circumstances, I would
support that request -- though the final decision would not be up to me.)

3) Or, since, as I see from your DARS, you have already taken the
two upper-division English courses being offered on campus this
summer, you could take one of the three USD upper-division English
courses being offered abroad this summer -- two are in June and one
is from late June to mid-July -- information is at the Study Abroad
Office. Because these are USD courses, they would count as
"on-campus" and you would graduate in August and you could walk in
the commencement.

These are your alternatives as I understand your situation. If you
would like to discuss them with me in person, I would be happy to
meet. My office hours are Mon 1-3, Wed 8-10, and Thurs 9:30-11.
with best wishes,
E Branch

Now, for the lack of three units and if I can't find an appropriate summer class for her, she will loose her second major.

Sigh.................

I feel so much for Sam.....on my.....I hate getting a committment from someone and then they go back on their word.....I had one college porfessor that did this to me and I have never forgotten.

Gook luck finding a suitable English class!!

Amy's Dad was assistant Fire Chief in our town . . .

We sure have a lot of firefighters in our families!!

Here's one response I received from e-mailing the story:

HOLLY THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL STORY. I'M GOING TO FORWARD IT ON TO A FEW PEOPLE TOMORROW, IF THAT'S OK WITH YOU? YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT'S NOT A STORY THAT WOULD MAKE NATIONAL NEWS, BUT IT SHOULD. SOMEONE SOMEDAY SHOULD MAKE THE STORY KNOWN. IT IS VERY SPECIAL AND SO TRUE. ALL IT TAKES IS ONE WALK AND ONE WORD TO SEAL OUR SALVATION. GOD BLESS YOU AND THANKS FOR THE INSPIRING EMAIL. MUCH LOVE TO YOU.

Thanks guys for letting me read your responses from your friends. In my prayers, this has allowed a little light into my life!!

Quick note from me tonight as we are up early (6:30am) and out the door for Wilson to have surgery to have his tubes (from his ears) removed. The procedure is nothing to worry about, should take all of 10 minutes, but nonetheless I'm a basket case tonight. Worried to death over my little guy having to go under anesthesia and maybe he will have to get an IV line this time since he may need more drugs on the table (better safe than sorry).

This is the 4th time for him to have to go under. First 2 times to get tubes (the kind that fall out on their own) and then the 3rd time for the stay in kind, that last operation was in 2003. He has grown and now the tubes have to be removed. I hope and pray that the ear infections won't return and that his body and ears are big enough now to drain like normal.

I've been crabby all afternoon so afraid of the worst, didn't eat dinner and I've been hiding at my desk all night to avoid tearing Paul's head off again. (That's what I do when I'm worried or scared) I need to go in the house, eat something and go to bed.

Please send me some prayers for sleep for all of us tonight and care for his surgeon tomorrow and some extra for me to not be so crabby when I'm scared.

Thanks for letting me vent, I'll check in tomorrow we should be home around 10 am our time.

Nan

Wilson and your family will be in my prayers all morning! Please let us know how he is!!

Living vivaciously through you! Would love to take a group scrapbooking, but it will be awhile... too busy with the new shop to go on scrapbooking weekends, but we do have DL in 10 days!!!

Karen

How cool is that...!!

 

[lillygator]

When I was about 13 or 14 I wanted to be an archeological anthropologist....who wrote novels on the side. I went through a whole science as a way of life phase, till I realized how much MATH I had to take before they'd let me get to the juicy science stuff! I quickly went back to the whole 'show business' thing!

anthropology was one of my majors in college....I loved all those classes....and my favorite was a class based on myths, such as Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, etc....it was great!

Lisa - hope things are better with your mom. Why is it that most mom's, grandma's seem so stubborn when it comes to going to the doctor? I know my Grandma will refuse to go for just about anything. She had to have her gallbladder out a while back and the dr said it was the worst infection they've seen and she had been living with the pain for over a year!

Nan - thinking of you today and your little one, hope all goes well.


Well another month end is upon us...this week will be hectic at work as I am also covering for someone on vacation. Nothing major but it is not something I am used to preparing. We leave for WDW on the 13th and I am so looking forward to it. The past couple months I have just been so stressed...with all of our monthly bills going up - things like that bother me tremendously, John - not so much, his philosophy is "it's only money, we'll make more"....I plan on trying my hardest to relax, go with the flow and have fun for the week of our vacation.

We're going to stop by my mom's on the way over - she is having Grandma over for breakfast so we'll visit with them for Mother's Day for a bit and maybe stop by John's parents...but they will probably be at church so I don't know about that.

Other than that - I wish the cruise were coming up...I could use all those sea days sitting in a deck chair right about now.

 

[birkner]

Noel,

I agree with Holly! What a bunch of CRAP!! Of course, studies abroad...

Karen

Studying abroad is not an option if she gets one of these internships as she clearly outlined in her email to both the dean and the head of the department.

Even more maddening is the head of the department's reply to email was the following:

Samantha,

If you need approval for a late withdrawal please complete a add/drop form
and turn in your request to the Dean's Office (Founders 114).

Dean Berryman Powell

 

[birkner]

I feel so much for Sam.....on my.....I hate getting a commitment from someone and then they go back on their word.....I had one college professor that did this to me and I have never forgotten.

Gook luck finding a suitable English class!!!!

I am not sure how fast I can find a class. I am so upset about this whole situation. Paying another $3K really does not set well with either DH or myself!!

 

[disneylover5]

I am not sure how fast I can find a class. I am so upset about this whole situation. Paying another $3K really does not set well with either DH or myself!!

Don't blame you at all on that. Has anyone spoken to the Dean....it is so easy to say NO to you on e-mail.....much harder when the situation is explained in person or on the phone??

If the Dean hears the whole story....he can fix it...if he wants to.....
Good Luck....
Lisa

 

[birkner]

Don't blame you at all on that. Has anyone spoken to the Dean....it is so easy to say NO to you on e-mail.....much harder when the situation is explained in person or on the phone??

If the Dean hears the whole story....he can fix it...if he wants to.....
Good Luck....
Lisa

Samantha is going make appointments to speak to the both the head of the department and Dean. The Dean's response to Sam's email was pretty off target and didn't even address any of the points she made. If you read my earlier post which detailed her email, she didn't even read the email properly as Sam has been forced to withdraw or take a failing grade at this point.

We shall see what happens from there.

 

[disneylover5]

Samantha is going make appointments to speak to the both the head of the department and Dean. The Dean's response to Sam's email was pretty off target and didn't even address any of the points she made. If you read my earlier post which detailed her email, she didn't even read the email properly as Sam has been forced to withdraw or take a failing grade at this point.

We shall see what happens from there.

Sounds like this is the best course of action....gook luck to her!!