Dear all,
Well now, Kimberly recovered nicely from her virus; only to go back to her internship and work with a sick intern, and now has come down with H1N1! We were to urgent care on Sunday; and so I couldn't work on Monday, until I had been cleared by HR and Employee Health. Kimberly is in bed; as she is soooo tired! I made Mom's hot cider for her yesterday, and some homemade chicken soup which should have her well in no time. The doctor at urgent care acted as if it was much ado about nothing. I seem to have immunity, and Brandon and Christine are still "well". Brandon has been followed by his dr. who says that the periods of confusion he is having daily might be a brain tumor. I asked about his low B12, since the lab said it might cause neuropsychiatric episodes. He seemed surprised and read the note. We will be getting a new dr. for Brandon after he sees the neurologist on the 29th. He seems better since starting to take a mega B complex now for 5 days. We are also going to go the CHLA Life Clinic and ask for a dr that knows about cancer survivor health. Please keep us in your prayers. I don't feel too worried and my mother's intuition isn't alarming at this point. Christine and Brandon have been through so much in the last 3 years, and they are stronger than ever. It is a blessing to witness. Love all, Kim
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Flu
Hi all!
Well, here it is...We have been hearing about H1N1 for months, and since I am a health care professional I get to really be hearing about it, so when my daughter exhibits symptoms of the flu; body aches, temp of 100+, headache, running nose (the worst ever), sore throat, ear ache, and finally cough, I tell her to get herself to the Doctor and let him know I work in NICU so I need to be sure it isn't H1N1. She goes and comes home on antibiotics and a nasal decongestant. No, he doesn't think she has IT! Why? Because she should have more body aches! He says its probably some other virus. This is my big girl who never complains, but did, and so I gave her my arthritis Tylenol (1350mg) to help with the fever and pain, as well as 2 Benydryl to help with the copious nasal discharge, and to facilitate sleep the night before. She was pale as a corpse with huge dark circles under her eyes; and you all know she's normally a beautiful brown sugar color, with sparklely eyes. This doctor did not check her by swabbing her nose or throat, so I don't know if I've been exposed! How are we supposed to keep the public protected if doctors don't do their job? Now, my son is complaining of ear ache and feeling confused, and so went to urgent care last night where they prescribed...you guessed it antibiotics and a decongestant! No one swabbed him either, so we still don't know. We are all in the high risk group in our family, since Kimberly is 24, and Brandon, Christine and I have underlying health problems of asthma, CP, and Lupus. In case you don't know, antibiotics don't work on viruses. I'm still having them take them just in case it really is bacterial, but I'm skeptical. With this kind of healthcare we should all be sick in no time! Just a heads up...In our family we have a nail biter, face touchers, nose itchers, etc and so all the hand washing in the world is not going to be insurance enough. They carry hand sanitizer in their backpacks, purses, cars, and so on, but as you see they are still all sick. I wash my hands every few minutes (since I'm in healthcare, its a habit). I'm feeling that familiar tickle in my throat, and can't tell for sure, but I don't think the warmth I feel is a hot flash. I took a sudafed a little while ago for my post nasal drip, and I feel a little "off". Sure wish I knew if this was the H1N1...since I'm now at work for the day! Stay well if you can, Love Kim
Well, here it is...We have been hearing about H1N1 for months, and since I am a health care professional I get to really be hearing about it, so when my daughter exhibits symptoms of the flu; body aches, temp of 100+, headache, running nose (the worst ever), sore throat, ear ache, and finally cough, I tell her to get herself to the Doctor and let him know I work in NICU so I need to be sure it isn't H1N1. She goes and comes home on antibiotics and a nasal decongestant. No, he doesn't think she has IT! Why? Because she should have more body aches! He says its probably some other virus. This is my big girl who never complains, but did, and so I gave her my arthritis Tylenol (1350mg) to help with the fever and pain, as well as 2 Benydryl to help with the copious nasal discharge, and to facilitate sleep the night before. She was pale as a corpse with huge dark circles under her eyes; and you all know she's normally a beautiful brown sugar color, with sparklely eyes. This doctor did not check her by swabbing her nose or throat, so I don't know if I've been exposed! How are we supposed to keep the public protected if doctors don't do their job? Now, my son is complaining of ear ache and feeling confused, and so went to urgent care last night where they prescribed...you guessed it antibiotics and a decongestant! No one swabbed him either, so we still don't know. We are all in the high risk group in our family, since Kimberly is 24, and Brandon, Christine and I have underlying health problems of asthma, CP, and Lupus. In case you don't know, antibiotics don't work on viruses. I'm still having them take them just in case it really is bacterial, but I'm skeptical. With this kind of healthcare we should all be sick in no time! Just a heads up...In our family we have a nail biter, face touchers, nose itchers, etc and so all the hand washing in the world is not going to be insurance enough. They carry hand sanitizer in their backpacks, purses, cars, and so on, but as you see they are still all sick. I wash my hands every few minutes (since I'm in healthcare, its a habit). I'm feeling that familiar tickle in my throat, and can't tell for sure, but I don't think the warmth I feel is a hot flash. I took a sudafed a little while ago for my post nasal drip, and I feel a little "off". Sure wish I knew if this was the H1N1...since I'm now at work for the day! Stay well if you can, Love Kim
Monday, September 7, 2009
God's love
Dear ones,
I went to a memorial for a 19 month old baby on Saturday. The little boy was the 3rd child of my children's childhood friend, Sarah. We have known Sarah since she was 3. Many memories were shared of long days spent under the 2 trees in my front yard. Days of popcorn and koolaid, games, and plays, and playing "store", "school" and "hospital". My front porch saw alot of business from the neighborhood because our huge trees kept things cool. We knew we had to attend this memorial.
Sarah, and her brother, Mark, were so happy to see our family; and we were so glad to bring some comfort of happier times to them. Their grandparents, our next door neighbors, had been "foster grandparents" to my own two children, until they passed on. When the new neighbors moved in they began digging up all of my friend Ann's beloved roses. I ran out there, and explained in my broken spanish that these were my deceased friends roses. They put sticks in pots for me, and unfortunately, with my brown thumb of death, only one survived. I waited with anticipation to see which of the roses made it. It was a melon orangey color; not my favorite, but still....Ann's legacy. I had just trimmed the bush back a couple of weeks before learning of the memorial for Ann's great grandchild. I thought to take some roses to the memorial. When I checked the bush there were only 3 closed buds on a branch. The memorial was saturday, and I knew they wouldn't open in time, when the night before they were still closed. I said a little prayer and told my grown children I would take the buds and mix them with babies breath the next morning and maybe it would be enough. We almost forgot to check. Brandon remembered, and we went out and here was one of the buds perfectly open just in time! I added babies breath, to the one open blossom and 2 buds; and tied it with white ribbon, and placed it in a pill bottle with water, since the memorial was down in SanClemente. It smelled lovely and looked beautiful, but I felt a little silly at my small offering. I felt I was supposed to take it anyway.
The memorial was beautiful. The pastor spoke at length about God, and then said that God is not in control of this fallen world; if He was, He would be considered a child abuser. I looked at the small melon rose and suddenly I knew that God was indeed in control; even of something so small as forcing a rose to bloom overnite, to be a small comfort for a greiving family. When I gave the rose to Sarah, and told her it was from her grandmothers bush, she was touched and wept with gratitude and said "I have to show my mother, because we have felt my grandmother's presence in these last days so strongly." When she showed her mother, they wept together over the little rose and both exclaimed that it was their favorite color of Ann's roses. I am amazed at God's love. The rose survived to comfort them at this time. I never would have known that years ago when I tried to preserve Ann's roses, and was disapointed that my least favorite color was the only one to survive, that it wasn't meant for me, but for Sarah and her extended family at this difficult time. God knows and loves each and every one of us, and will comfort us in His way. We may not understand why a little boy dies mysteriously, but we can know of His love for us, and take comfort that everything happens for a reason. Our God is in control, and is a loving Father of us all.
I went to a memorial for a 19 month old baby on Saturday. The little boy was the 3rd child of my children's childhood friend, Sarah. We have known Sarah since she was 3. Many memories were shared of long days spent under the 2 trees in my front yard. Days of popcorn and koolaid, games, and plays, and playing "store", "school" and "hospital". My front porch saw alot of business from the neighborhood because our huge trees kept things cool. We knew we had to attend this memorial.
Sarah, and her brother, Mark, were so happy to see our family; and we were so glad to bring some comfort of happier times to them. Their grandparents, our next door neighbors, had been "foster grandparents" to my own two children, until they passed on. When the new neighbors moved in they began digging up all of my friend Ann's beloved roses. I ran out there, and explained in my broken spanish that these were my deceased friends roses. They put sticks in pots for me, and unfortunately, with my brown thumb of death, only one survived. I waited with anticipation to see which of the roses made it. It was a melon orangey color; not my favorite, but still....Ann's legacy. I had just trimmed the bush back a couple of weeks before learning of the memorial for Ann's great grandchild. I thought to take some roses to the memorial. When I checked the bush there were only 3 closed buds on a branch. The memorial was saturday, and I knew they wouldn't open in time, when the night before they were still closed. I said a little prayer and told my grown children I would take the buds and mix them with babies breath the next morning and maybe it would be enough. We almost forgot to check. Brandon remembered, and we went out and here was one of the buds perfectly open just in time! I added babies breath, to the one open blossom and 2 buds; and tied it with white ribbon, and placed it in a pill bottle with water, since the memorial was down in SanClemente. It smelled lovely and looked beautiful, but I felt a little silly at my small offering. I felt I was supposed to take it anyway.
The memorial was beautiful. The pastor spoke at length about God, and then said that God is not in control of this fallen world; if He was, He would be considered a child abuser. I looked at the small melon rose and suddenly I knew that God was indeed in control; even of something so small as forcing a rose to bloom overnite, to be a small comfort for a greiving family. When I gave the rose to Sarah, and told her it was from her grandmothers bush, she was touched and wept with gratitude and said "I have to show my mother, because we have felt my grandmother's presence in these last days so strongly." When she showed her mother, they wept together over the little rose and both exclaimed that it was their favorite color of Ann's roses. I am amazed at God's love. The rose survived to comfort them at this time. I never would have known that years ago when I tried to preserve Ann's roses, and was disapointed that my least favorite color was the only one to survive, that it wasn't meant for me, but for Sarah and her extended family at this difficult time. God knows and loves each and every one of us, and will comfort us in His way. We may not understand why a little boy dies mysteriously, but we can know of His love for us, and take comfort that everything happens for a reason. Our God is in control, and is a loving Father of us all.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
An Unlikely Family
To all who venture here,
All my life I can remember wanting a real, normal, family. I read books like "Little Women", "Little Men" and even "Grapes of Wrath" showed family working together to survive. I can remember living with my paternal grandmother and loving it. All the cousins around and aunties and uncles. My parents were divorced; both were judged to be lacking in the parenting department, and so Grandma took care of us. I felt really loved, even though I missed my mother emensely. My Father was like a big kid, tickling us all the time til we cried, and piling us up in a 3 kid sandwich and laying on us. He was 6'6" so this wasn't fun, especially since I was usually on the bottom! Then Father married a woman 15 years my senior. I was 5 or so. She turned out to have even less parenting skills and was a very scary, abusive, psycho. The fact that Father did not protect us says alot. It was a long nightmare, interrupted by 18 months in foster care for me when I was 6. The care I received in foster care was calm and capable. I wanted to stay there forever, but was sent back to the nightmare at age 8. I left one month after I turned 18; tired of the molestation by my Father and being beat up by my stepmother. I went back for my sister, and then my brother, as soon as I was able.
The point is that I survived miraculously, fairly OK. My sister and my brother did not get to see "normal", and so they have had to try and figure it out themselves. I love them both very much. I understand them, when others may not. My brother always hugs me a little too tight, and has a heart that is so big. My sister swings back and forth between her truth, and what really happened; she lived with lies all her life, and that became normal. I see the struggle in her. Then I have my other sister who grew up with my mother who was clinicly depressed over the loss of her other 3 children. I also have a foster sister who my Mom and "Dad" loved by choice. They are all my siblings forever, scars and all. Whether we can survive, the loss of our chosen parents "Mom and Dad" remains to be seen. We are fragile at best at staying a "family" and that is sad, because after all "all I've ever wanted is a normal family". My children remind me often that I have broken the cycle of abuse, and that we are a pretty normal family. We are small, but I hope significant in the path my posterity shall take. Some things take a lifetime to accomplish, and somethings will have to wait for the next act. I guess I shall have to leave it to Him... Love's Eternal, Kim
All my life I can remember wanting a real, normal, family. I read books like "Little Women", "Little Men" and even "Grapes of Wrath" showed family working together to survive. I can remember living with my paternal grandmother and loving it. All the cousins around and aunties and uncles. My parents were divorced; both were judged to be lacking in the parenting department, and so Grandma took care of us. I felt really loved, even though I missed my mother emensely. My Father was like a big kid, tickling us all the time til we cried, and piling us up in a 3 kid sandwich and laying on us. He was 6'6" so this wasn't fun, especially since I was usually on the bottom! Then Father married a woman 15 years my senior. I was 5 or so. She turned out to have even less parenting skills and was a very scary, abusive, psycho. The fact that Father did not protect us says alot. It was a long nightmare, interrupted by 18 months in foster care for me when I was 6. The care I received in foster care was calm and capable. I wanted to stay there forever, but was sent back to the nightmare at age 8. I left one month after I turned 18; tired of the molestation by my Father and being beat up by my stepmother. I went back for my sister, and then my brother, as soon as I was able.
The point is that I survived miraculously, fairly OK. My sister and my brother did not get to see "normal", and so they have had to try and figure it out themselves. I love them both very much. I understand them, when others may not. My brother always hugs me a little too tight, and has a heart that is so big. My sister swings back and forth between her truth, and what really happened; she lived with lies all her life, and that became normal. I see the struggle in her. Then I have my other sister who grew up with my mother who was clinicly depressed over the loss of her other 3 children. I also have a foster sister who my Mom and "Dad" loved by choice. They are all my siblings forever, scars and all. Whether we can survive, the loss of our chosen parents "Mom and Dad" remains to be seen. We are fragile at best at staying a "family" and that is sad, because after all "all I've ever wanted is a normal family". My children remind me often that I have broken the cycle of abuse, and that we are a pretty normal family. We are small, but I hope significant in the path my posterity shall take. Some things take a lifetime to accomplish, and somethings will have to wait for the next act. I guess I shall have to leave it to Him... Love's Eternal, Kim
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Family Update
Dear all,
Well, it was over 105 today, but not humid, thank goodness. The kids went to Disneyland today; with Nina and her boyfriend from North Dakota. He fits right in, and everyone seems to be getting along nicely. They met online about 3 years ago. Christine stayed home, as she was injured at work a while back, and is recovering from post concussion syndrome. She gets vertigo and dizzy so the rides did not sound fun. She is spending the day with her parents. I went to the bank, post office, and grocery store, and did 2 loads of towels after the sun went down. I finished a good book "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven" and I can recommend it. Did the dishes, watered the lawn etc. A productive day....
Christine is on workman comp, and Brandon is on break from parades, which won't start up again until sometime in Oct. He is back in school and is really enjoying 2 classes. Christine had to drop her class due to the head injury. Kimberly is also taking a class, working, and has a new internship working for "Silly Sally's" children's entertainment. She is a busy girl! I plan to go back to school next spring if my health holds up, and my parents estate gets settled. I also plan to get my own affairs in order in case something happens to me. Ever since their grandparents died, my kids have been worried about me leaving them with out some instructions in place. How did the last 21 years go by so fast?
Well, I guess I just don't have much to say here. Hope all of you are well and happy. We could use some prayers for Christine to get well, Brandon to have enough time to finish school, Kimberly to get a job in her field of study, and for me to have the title of "Grandma" bestowed upon me this next year. No pressure though, just wishing...love eternal, Kim
Well, it was over 105 today, but not humid, thank goodness. The kids went to Disneyland today; with Nina and her boyfriend from North Dakota. He fits right in, and everyone seems to be getting along nicely. They met online about 3 years ago. Christine stayed home, as she was injured at work a while back, and is recovering from post concussion syndrome. She gets vertigo and dizzy so the rides did not sound fun. She is spending the day with her parents. I went to the bank, post office, and grocery store, and did 2 loads of towels after the sun went down. I finished a good book "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven" and I can recommend it. Did the dishes, watered the lawn etc. A productive day....
Christine is on workman comp, and Brandon is on break from parades, which won't start up again until sometime in Oct. He is back in school and is really enjoying 2 classes. Christine had to drop her class due to the head injury. Kimberly is also taking a class, working, and has a new internship working for "Silly Sally's" children's entertainment. She is a busy girl! I plan to go back to school next spring if my health holds up, and my parents estate gets settled. I also plan to get my own affairs in order in case something happens to me. Ever since their grandparents died, my kids have been worried about me leaving them with out some instructions in place. How did the last 21 years go by so fast?
Well, I guess I just don't have much to say here. Hope all of you are well and happy. We could use some prayers for Christine to get well, Brandon to have enough time to finish school, Kimberly to get a job in her field of study, and for me to have the title of "Grandma" bestowed upon me this next year. No pressure though, just wishing...love eternal, Kim
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Summer Heat
I am not a summer person. I love autumn. Autumn can not get here soon enough. I ran the air conditioner again last night...all night. It is a window unit out in the living room, and I have to position a fan, going full blast, to blow into the back where the bedrooms are. On a personal note...I absolutely hate menopause! Not that I have a uterus anymore...but the power surges are so embarrassing, and in this heat I look like I'm melting...all the time. The sweat drips off my earings for gosh sakes! So come on cool, crisp, beautiful fall! I also need a job working in a refrigerator, and not under baby warmers set to body temp...yep 98.6. When I asked the elder ladies at church how long this phase of my life would last they smiled and said they were still having hot flashes! They got to be 90! How is that possible? I did ask Mom about all these annoying symptoms, while she was still alive, but she said she didn't experience them. Lucky me...! So I didn't get much sleep again last night, and woke up to 3 dogs staring at me; 10 minutes before the alarm was set to go off. They wanted to go out. I really needed that last 10 minutes. No one should have to get up at 430 in the morning. It just feels wrong. On the upside, I had the freeway pretty much to myself. I listened to country music on the way in to work; which is just stories put to music, which always makes me smile; so that by the time I switched freeways I was in a much better mood. The moon was huge and orange looking suspiciously like a harvest moon, which can only mean one thing...Autumn is on its way!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Summer ahhh...
Hello all!
Well here it is, summer at last. It has been mild and cool so luckily haven't had to use the air conditioner. Christine is at work most days in the Disney stores in California Adventure. Brandon still hasn't received hours and discovered no one informed his boss he was off medical leave! Hopefully, he will get some hours next week. Kimberly is still at the theatre and still looking for an internship. She may go back to school to get another degree. But for now it's summer. The kids just celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary (june 10), and Christine's birthday #25 was yesterday. They went to San Diego for 3 nights and 4 days to celebrate. They came back looking very happy and rested. They went on the Ghost bus tour and had a wonderful time. Brandon wore his Ghost busters t-shirt. I have been slowly going through all the paperwork one accumulates as I have been bitten by the organizing bug. Unfortunately, I was also bitten by the pharygitus bug and spent the last week in bed! One of my patients died while I was out, which is upsetting to me.
I am also going to be in Illinois July 1st thru July 8th to take care of some business. I will be able to see adorable Isabella Elizabeth then. Well, got to get back to work. God bless all. Love Kim
Well here it is, summer at last. It has been mild and cool so luckily haven't had to use the air conditioner. Christine is at work most days in the Disney stores in California Adventure. Brandon still hasn't received hours and discovered no one informed his boss he was off medical leave! Hopefully, he will get some hours next week. Kimberly is still at the theatre and still looking for an internship. She may go back to school to get another degree. But for now it's summer. The kids just celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary (june 10), and Christine's birthday #25 was yesterday. They went to San Diego for 3 nights and 4 days to celebrate. They came back looking very happy and rested. They went on the Ghost bus tour and had a wonderful time. Brandon wore his Ghost busters t-shirt. I have been slowly going through all the paperwork one accumulates as I have been bitten by the organizing bug. Unfortunately, I was also bitten by the pharygitus bug and spent the last week in bed! One of my patients died while I was out, which is upsetting to me.
I am also going to be in Illinois July 1st thru July 8th to take care of some business. I will be able to see adorable Isabella Elizabeth then. Well, got to get back to work. God bless all. Love Kim
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