Holiday Drama

Well I haven't had much time since the Holidays to post here. Wow, has it been a rough one. Ok for starters, my Hubby Nate, my oldest Grandson Nick, Granddaughter Marissa, oldest Daughter Angela and I had food poisoning. The day after Christmas we decided to go for a drive out to Lake Ponca to see the beautiful Christmas display. It was beautiful, we play Christmas music and all sang along. We got home and decided to watch some Christmas movies with the Grandkids, Papa Nate aka my Hubby offered us some beef jerky he had bought from some of the kids for a fundraiser. Well all was well till the next morning and I began to feel quite ill, (I won't bother to share the gory details but by the late afternoon five of us were very sick) I was down for three days.

My Hubby who we thought had the mildest case seem to recover pretty quick or so we thought. By the fourth day I was starting to eat pop cycles and tea then buy New Year's Eve I was tired a lot but feeling better. My Daughter reported the same. Well Nate was growing more and more fatigued and being a dialysis patient we just thought it was the Holidays and being a bit ill after Christmas. Sunday night January 6 he started to feel bad again, this time it wasn't mild at all, by the following morning he was barely responding. I called his oldest son Michael to come over to help his father into the shower but he could not get him up either. So we called 911 and the ambulance took him to the local ER. He was so sick, his fever was up to 104 and being a dialysis patient this was a recipe for disaster.

The Doctor came in and said his tests were negative for the Flu but he would have to run some more tests. They did and the Doctor wanted to send him to a hospital that was capable of performing Peritoneal Dialysis, Well due to the outbreak of the Flu there was no room in any of the hospitals here in Oklahoma so he had to be transferred to Wichita, Kansas. I raced home to grab some things so I could follow the ambulance to Wichita. With in 24 hours his health started to deteriorate so they transferred him to ICU, his chest x-rays showed he had what they call "double pneumonia". This was very bad considering his already fragile state. The Doctor said they would have to "drain" his lungs. His blood pressure began to drop dangerously low, and they discussed that they most likely will have to put him on a ventilator, I told our family that was there with me that "this is when we worry". Having had worked in the medical field for over 16 years I knew all the medical terminology. Sometimes I wish I didn't know the facts. But once they did the procedure on his lungs he began to breath easier, they started IV antibiotics for several days then he started to show improvement. Sunday January 13 they moved him out of ICU, we were so happy that he was improving. That same day there was an ice storm and Nate's oldest son who was up visiting had to go home. The rest of the family had a hotel in town so they would be staying. Me I was staying by his side as I had been.

We advised Michael to stay in Wichita but he drove home anyway. Well he ended up rolling his SUV. He miraculously was not injured but his vehicle was in rough shape. He had some bumps and brusing but ok none the less. By Wednesday January 16 the Doctor came in to check Nate and announced she wanted to release him, she said she was more concerned with him being exposed with the Flu but would set up a home care nurse to visit and that he would need physical therapy to regain his strength. So now we are home, I am so glad he made it through this. I myself probably have been exposed to the Flu and because I suffer from an auto immune disease called Sarcoidosis I'm pretty concerned but doing everything I can to stay strong for him.

I wish I had a pretty Holiday story to tell but sometimes life gets dramatic, looking forward to healthier New Year, and Valentines Day because we didn't get to enjoy the Holiday Season too well.

Well hello to all and hope that your holiday season is going well. I wanted to make this blog entry to be more positive but I was down most of the Christmas holiday with what we think was food poisoning. Nate, Marissa and Nick all came down with horrible flu like symptoms all of a sudden the day after Christmas. We are not sure what we could have gotten into that caused the illness but it was very intense (I'll leave out the gory details). I will say I did however lose 14 lbs, so no worries for me at least about gaining unwanted holiday food weight.

On a positive note though prior to the illness it was a wonderful Christmas. Ang and the kids were able to come out and spend time here despite the warning of a bad winter storm that didn't turn out as bad as the weather advisory predicted.

So to all my friends and family I wish you all the very best for the coming year with the promise of all things new and the chance to start out with new hope to let past issues go and bring on more positive changes.

 

Hello everyone,

Wow, things have been absolutely crazy since Thanksgiving but then it is the "Holiday" season after all. My daughter and her family were able to come out and stay for several days and although things were a bit crazy with getting Nate's dialysis routine established and cooking for two days with three hours of sleep in two days, I think we did pretty good.  The only casualty was my camera that was misplaced but then we found it a day after the kids were gone.  I plan on making up for it over the remaining holidays.

 

  I've been busy as a bee here at home, re-arranging furniture, getting ready to steam the carpets to put up the Christmas tree. Our family celebrated both Christian and Jewish holidays and when I was very young I just thought it was all the same. I have been trying to get most of my gifts for everyone online this year. And silly me I thought it would be less hectic... Oh was I wrong. It's still pretty complicated because so many times I've ran into the dilemma of the dreaded "Out of Stock" message, and of course it's usually something that I have carefully planned to order for someone. I know that I shouldn't be so materialistic, it's not what Christmas or Hanukkah is all about I just have a lot of people to buy for so it amounts to quality-vs-quantity.

 

 I like to find just the right gift for each person. I am happy to report I am almost through but because I received a message from Toys R Us that one of the gifts for my oldest Grandson was quote unquote "unavailable" I'm still shopping. I quickly called them and he insisted that I was not billed and that they were sorry for the "inconvenience" hmmm, but they charged my debit card... Well that's a whole other chapter, the man was condescending and didn't even offer to fix the situation. I'd give you more details but it's negative energy I do not wish to pass on to you all who read this. Long story short I was charged for something I'll never receive and now I have to find something else for him. If the charge is still on my account after 48 hours I am not going to be happy... I may have a bit of a NY attitude when I call them back.

Ok, on a more positive note our weather here in Northern Oklahoma has amazingly mild.  Today it was in the mid 70s.  I know it's not going to last but we are enjoying it for the moment.  Angela sent me a couple of photos from Halloween.  I still can't believe we couldn't find that camera... ok now I'm ranting.  So, it's getting late I'll update you later.  Goodnight one and all!

Marissa and Nessy at the local Cherryberry, if you'll notice the photo that is above them was a photo Ang had done and the local studio, the owner of the studio had it displayed there.  Too precious.

 

 Angela, Josh and baby Christian

 

Nick with Josh and baby Christian

 

Christian having a great time

 

Well that's it for now.  I'll be updating once I get some of my tasks off my to do list.  Take care!  



It's been far too long but I'm back!

I started this blog quite some time ago and I was contemplating how to keep this going with out boring you the reader. Well I was thinking about it and decided I'm just going to put my thoughts and life situations out there and just hope for the best. I'm just a very down to earth gal who is trying to keep my family and friends happy while also trying to get my health back in check. I hope that I can inspire you all with my testimonies and humor along the way. I was documenting through another blog but I realize I will probably reach more people using this website than my old domain. It's great to be back.

Well to update you I've been helping my hubby try to get started on home Peritoneal dialysis. For those of you who have not heard of this, it is a treatment for patients with severe chronic kidney disease. The process uses the patent's peritoneum in the abdomen as a membrane across which fluids and dissolved substances (electrolytes, urea, glucose, albumin and other small molecules) are exchanged from the blood. Fluid is introduced through a permanent tube in the abdomen and flushed out either every night while the patient sleeps (automatic peritoneal dialysis) or via regular exchanges throughout the day (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis). PD is used as an alternative to hemodialysis though it is far less commonly used in many countries, such as the United States. It has comparable risks but is significantly less costly in most parts of the world, with the primary advantage being the ability to undertake treatment without visiting a medical facility. The primary complication of PD is infection due to the presence of a permanent tube in the abdomen.

So after going through all the red tape dealing with IHS (Indian Health Services) a "government" program meant to provide Native American citizens that are members of one of the "federally" recognized tribes with health care, we f i n a l l y received the ok to begin the process. My husband Nate had his surgery on of all days our 10th wedding anniversary.  And I don't want to sound ungrateful because really I am quite appreciative that he had the port put in to get things started. Now that he is on the road to recovery we will be anticipating the process of trying to get him on the donor recipient list for Kidney transplant. So far all is going well with him getting used to doing the home dialysis. 

Here is Nate with our little Grandson Samuel aka "SJ".  SJ was born on

"Father's Day" of this year, two weeks later our daughter Angela's baby Christian was born.

 

Now that we are home we are gearing up to have my oldest daughter and her family here with us this week for Thanksgiving. We both are so excited because they our Grand kids will with here also and they are such a joy in our lives. I'll be sure to update with photos of the big day. Being from New York my daughter Angela and I are huge fans of the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" Nate was raised in California and boasts of his childhood and attending the "Tournament of Roses Parade" as a boy growing up and how amazing it was. I guess we were blessed with both worlds you might say. I plan on cooking a pretty traditional meal turkey of course, this year my family has requested the "old school" stuffing although I prefer the cornbread aka southern style stuffing but hey it's all good. I also am preparing sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and homemade gravy. Angela and her husband Josh are making the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Nate is making his famous pumpkin pie. I never would eat pumpkin pie until Nate made it one year and now we are all hooked. He says it's a secret recipe but I've watched what he puts in the mix, no more secret (grins). I usually make the pie crust while he is mixing up everything else and usually that's with the assistance of two or three Grand kids wanting to help their "Papa". We have 10 Grand kids all together but four of them are Angela and Josh's children.

Nessy, Marissa, Nick holding a very unhappy baby Christian

 

My daughter texted me this photo, Nessy looks so happy although her older sister is giving her "bunny ears" in the background, they are a crack up :o)

 

My dear littlest Granddaughter Vanessa, also known as "Nessy" just turned four last week so I've been working on some special goodies for her since we could not make it out to her Birthday.  Nate had just had surgery and his doctor warned that travel would not be the best decision for a week or so.   But they will be with us this week and we have so much to be thankful for!

 

 

 

Welcome to my blog.

 "Achievers are great dreamers, what dreams in life would you have if you knew you could not possibly fail?  Then ask yourself what dream would make you happiest in fulfilling? Always remember, God's dreams are far bigger than we could ever imagine ourselves. ~ Craig Lock, author of the article - 15 Dynamic Principles to Make Your Dreams Come True

Of all the job titles I have had in this life I would like the opportunity to teach.  In doing so comes a great responsibility.  Sure, there are the basic fundamentals that are important but to be a mentor you must also teach what you know.  I want to share what I have learned so far on this journey that has helped me get through the hard times when my spirit was broken.  By doing so I hope to inspire those who read this blog to never give up even when all seems lost and if you are struggling to take your leap of faith.

When I was growing up my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents gave me an incredible bit of wisdom.  They all told me at one time or another that I could do anything in this life if I worked hard and had the power to just believe.  A simple yet powerful philosophy. I recall my father telling me when I was in my teens that only 10% of the wealthiest men in this world were born into wealth that the rest were self made by hard work and determination.  When he said wealth of course he meant by financial status.  What I've learned since; the measure of a man should not determined by the amount of money in his bank account or his title but by his character and by his heart and how he treats his fellow man.

My father's battle with cancer ended in July of 1998.  Losing Dad was hard and it made me realize how fragile life is.  He passed on to me a legacy that was not so much a material inheritance as it was wisdom and talent.  As I sat with him spending his last days by his side, he held my hand and told me how proud he was of me, that he knew from the time I was a baby that I had a restless spirit and I would  travel far and do many great things. 

In my 44 years in this world I have faced many struggles and adversity.  I have been a soldier's wife during time of war, divorced, a single working Mom while going to college, a survivor of abuse, gone through a custody battle that did not go well, robbed at gun point, robbed while on vacation twice, held the hand of a loved one as they took their last breath, experienced the loss of material belongings through fire not once but twice and involved in an almost fatal car accident just to name a few and I am still here and thankful for every new day.  I have learned that money only pays the bills that it does not buy love or happiness and not to grow too attached to material things. After all what really matters in the very end when there is nothing else left is love.  And through it all I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to experience many incredible things.  Raising my children who are my absolute joy, and being a grandmother which there are no words to describe, the love of family and some very wonderful friends, traveling and working doing what I love to do and meeting some really interesting and influential people along the way, having the chance to give many hope and inspiration through the gift of song. And I'm not done yet! 

We all go through hard times that is true, but its how we weather the storm which builds our character. Education and hard work are the tools we can use to achieve our dreams but in order to reach our goals in life we have to have faith.  Self doubt is our biggest hindrance.  Along the way I learned that anything worth doing is worth doing to the very best of our ability.  We all have obstacles in life, sometimes they are physical limitations and sometimes they are negative people who only want to bring us down because like the old saying misery loves company.  You must find a way to overcome these things and not let anyone or anything rob you of your joy.  God gives us the gift of free will and the ability to achieve our hearts desire. 

One final thought; dare to dream, we are only as limited as far as our faith will take us.

"If you can believe, all things are possible to those who believe" – Mark 9:23

Thank you for reading my blog, I sincerely hope you’ll return and I welcome all comments.

May you be blessed

Jules