Johanna's Family

Amazing save

2010-09-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, a patient came in by EMS, rolling around on stretcher, moaning and crying. Complaining of left flank pain for 6 hours. EMS said he was beeing a jerk, uncooperative. Went in to assess him, acting like he had a kidney stone so started an IV, fluids and asked the doc for pain meds. His oxygen level was low so I started him on oxygen, his heart rate was high, thought it was from the pain and deydration so opened up the IV fluids to rehydrate. He got pain meds, then went to CT. The CT tech came running back with the patient; patient had effusions to bilateral lungs (fluid in the lungs or below the lungs). No official read from the radiologist so started a second IV, gave more oxygen and more pain medications.
When the official read came back, results were a ruptured esophagus! The effusions were caused by the fluid and food that the patient had eaten that went through the hole and settled under his lungs. 100% fatal without immediate surgery! 25% fatality even with surgery. We did not have the capability at my hospital! So we were on the phone for emergency transport, getting the cardio-thorasic surgeon to the hospital we were sending the patient to. We were able to get him to the OR at Moses Cone. Heard later that he was unresponsive when they got him on the table. Found out last night the he made it through the surery!!! YEAH! This is why I do what I do. Every now and then, what I do with my team in the emergency truely saves a life. If we had waited, the patient would most likely have died. We work together, work hard and move onto the next patient.

Rough weekend

2010-07-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Kids were willful, husband tired, me--unusually difficult work on Friday night and Saturday night.
Caos in the emergency room--a dozen patients in the waiting room waiting to be seen. Really sick patients and the fools that do stupid things that take up way too much time. On young man was brought in by the police because he ate a gram of cocaine---in front of the police, so he could not be accused. Well...we have our ways of collecting evidence...and saving his life. Tube down his nose into his stomach to suck out the contents, then a liquid called "Golitely"...not pleasant, not an acurate name because you sure do not go "lightly". He ended up vomiting 5 bags of cocaine, who knows how much came out the other end. What came up was enough to convict of selling. So, after monitoring for 6 hours, off he went in cuffs with the police. Would have been a lot less painful for him and for us if he had just given up at the time he was caught...
The good thing about my shift is the people I work with...we all share in the misery and the joys. We have fun when we can and work hard together when we cannot.
This morning woke up with a lot of lower back, leg, hip, knee and ankle pain from the bulging disc flaring up. When I sit too much, it flares. Sunday was calm...too calm--after about 1am, we didn't get any more patients so sitting was what we did. Recovering from the rough weekend. Now I am paying for it. No more sitting for awhile....
One more weekend then Family Camp! Can't wait!

Cats whiskers

2010-07-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

So I went to pick up our new cat Cookie and noticed that half his whiskers are gone! "Not me" and "I don't know how it happened" are the culprits...Gotta love'um!

Riding...and falling

2010-07-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today, our house sitter came over to see the horses again and the lay of the land. I also wanted to see him handle the horses, since he said he could and wanted to ride. So, I caught Rosie, we brushed and saddled and bridled...then both he and Amilia wanted me to ride first "to get her beans out"...
I hopped up in shorts (ow!! for the calves!), rode her around the paddock at a walk, trot then canter, held my own...surprised myself because it had been so long. Then Todd hopped up, we adjusted the stirrups and off he went, around the field and off Rosie onto the ground. Neither Amilia or I saw him fall; he says that Rosie stumbles in a hole and the saddle was very slippery---the scarry thing was that his boot stayed in the stirrup! He is used to riding western and we put him in an English saddle. Rosie did not move when he fell....yeah, what a good horse! He got back on, rode around for about 15 minutes then Amilia got on. She has not ridden at all in a long time because she did not want to ride Rosie and Princess was unreliable. She did amazing! She surprised herself I think...handled Rosie without any difficulty at all. Walk, trot, canter...and she did not fall.
Later on tonight, Todd messaged me on his phone that he hurt himself...ugg...but he was laughing....

Tetnus shot

2010-07-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Today Nathan got his "going into 6th grade tetnus shot". He was very brave, did not cry until he got into the car and we were done. The nurse that gave it was very good. She was no nonsense, just came in, talked with Nathan about school and then gave him his shot...he didn't really even have time to think about it. I find I do the same thing with my patients in the ER. On Sunday, I was taking care of a 15 year old who had a severe allergic reaction to something and was covered with hives and was itching like crazy. The best and quickest treatment is IV benadryl, IV pepcid and IV steroids. He agreed but when I came in with everything, he started to freak...I just kept talking to him, took his arm and stretched out. Told him I would not stick him without telling him when I was going to, cleaned the spot and then quickly said, "1, 2, 3 stick" and stuck him...slid the catheter in, took the needle out and he went "thats it?". So the fear was greater than the actual pain. However, I will not tell any of my patients that it will not hurt; because it will...I am sticking a needle in! His mom kept saying, this won't hurt and I kept having to tell him, yes, this will hurt, but not for long...
We have been working with training with the horses. Rhanda is doing great, she seems to be picking up the training quickly. I would love to be able to ride her soon. But we really need to do a lot of ground work first. We are using the Clinton Anderson method and it is easy to follow, and it works!
Amilia is working with a tutor over the summer. She is moving quickly with her reading abilities. The teacher is one from school, we will probably try and keep her working with Amilia through the school year because the one on one is making a huge difference. And her confidence is building. I see her stuggle with things that seem so simple to me but recently, she has had more "aha" moments, putting together the way words and sounds work. She really struggles with reading short i, short e and short a...to her, they sound very similar. Her teacher is actually teaching Amilia how her mouth should go with each sound. It has help alot!
Nathan is working on the Walter Farley series. He has read the first two books, will probably bring two or three to family camp. I remember reading those books over and over again growing up. I am thrilled that Nathan is enjoying them!
I am off work until Friday. I hope to get a lot of stuff done this week. I want to sort through the basement and figure out what I want to keep and what I want to sell. I have a bunch of stuff I need to take pictures of and post on Craigslist to sell. I just need to get motivated to get going!
The kids are creating their own chore charts today with a huge reward at the end of the summer for working hard and following the charts as much as they can--a day at the local water park. We are going to put small rewards in too. Nathan has been very helpful lately without any prompting so I slip him some money every now and then. Amilia has been getting paid to give me back and foot rubs!

A year later

2010-07-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

We have been in our house for over a year, still love it, still have a wreck in the basement...
It has been a tough day today. We had to put Princess down, our first horse that we have ever had as a family. She has had problems with her foot and leg, lost a lot of muscle mass and began to really appear unhappy and in pain despite treatment. The kids have had a major learning experience today. They were there with Princess when she died. They cried, talked about it, cried some more and I think we will get through it easier than when we had to put Blacky the cat to sleep.
Our household now consists of a Husband, a Dog, Two kids, Three cats, and Three horses. We have worked on the land to make it better for the animals. We have to put a barn up. We have a lot of landscaping to do. We started a great garden and then the grass took over...next year we will definitely do things different for the garden, but it has been fun starting it. Just a disappointment that we have not gotten any veggies out of it.
We have had lots of blueberries, the apple trees are coming along great, the peaches and pears are almost ready to pick. Love to eat of the land. Just need to work on it more next year.
We are excitedly looking forward to our Maine, Family Camp at the end of the month.
We have a young man named Todd coming to stay for the time we are gone. He has worked with horses for a long time and I work with him. He came over earlier this week and is comfortable with the animals. He will be coming over again on Tuesday to ride and work with the horses again. We thank God for him. He is a Christian as well and we feel blessed to have him coming.
Jim has a new job-- second or third this year due to the economy. This one came from God..after I got Rosie and Princess, we started getting grain at Davis Feed. One afternoon, Jim went over after the store had closed and the owner came over to get him what he needed. While there, they started talking, he offered Jim a job on the spot. It has been a blessing. We are just about paid off of all of our Credit card debt and will not get into it again! By the end of the summer, we will be free of these chains. This job is flexible, he is able to be home when I need him home. He is delivering water and grain and anything else that they need. He enjoys it. He is working for a Christian business...it is wonderful!
Well, enough for now.
I am going to try and keep this journal more regularly as the kids change so fast and I want to keep up with their challenges and journey.

New house

2009-07-01T13:06:00.001-07:00

My awsome kitchen!

New house

2009-07-01T13:04:00.001-07:00

Directly in front of the house

New house

2009-07-01T13:01:00.001-07:00

This is part of the front yard

New house

2009-07-01T12:54:00.001-07:00

Well, we moved. 900 Steeple Chase Lane. We are the only house on the road/driveway. Basically, our driveway has a name. The house is all we could ask for and then some. 2800 sq feet of living space, inground pool, 5+ acres of land, amazing kitchen. And it is ours. (well, the banks...)

More random pictures

2009-04-16T17:25:00.001-07:00

Nathan's birthday

Amilia and Nathan playing together

Amilia Ruth with Hiway Cat.

Long day

2009-04-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

You'd think that having the kiddo's away for spring break to the in-laws, my life would be easier...well, went to the ortho doc today, need an MRI to see what is really going on in the knee. He thinks I have either stretched the ACL and torn the lateral meniscus or have completely torn the ACL and the muscles surrounding my knee have developed enough with PT that it is somewhat stabilizing it. I continue to have to wear a hinged knee brace to keep from pivoting the knee but with it on, I am able to pretty much do what I want pain free. The problem I now have is a really ugly rash on my leg where the brace is...yucky, isn't it?

Anyways, after the MD visit, I decided to go to Dick's to pick up some exercise bands that I can use in the office while I am at work and starting to feel sleepy.

After Dick's, I saw the AAA car care center and remembered that I needed an oil change and tire rotation....ended up walking out of there spending almost $700! Needed new wiper blades (knew that) needed new tie rods (didn't know that) and needed new front break pads (didn't know that).

So, after all the work we have done getting to a zero balance on the credit cards, now I have a balance again:(

BUT, I now know that the wheel will not fall off while driving done route 40!

I did not get home until around 7pm! Left the house at 9:30am! But brought the latest Grisham book and have read quite a bit of it.

I also got everything needed out in the mail for our mortgage! YEAH...I did not have a signed contract until Tuesday evening, then had to go to work Wednesday and had planned on getting it out this morning after my doctors appointment. It went into the mail at the post office, but will not go out until tomorrow:( I would have brought it myself, but it is in Raleigh and by the time the van was fixed it was after 5pm. Went to Staples, made a copy of everything, then went to the post office and dropped it in the box.

I am working 6-6 for the next three days so I had to get it done today...yeah!

Random pictures

2009-04-14T18:25:00.001-07:00

Work, House, Kids

2009-04-14T17:38:00.001-07:00

I have been busy.

Oriented and worked at a new position. I am a "Flow Manager". What I do is watch orders and treatments on the computer in the flow manager office and make sure that patients are not being held up by pending labs, x-rays, treatments etc. If things are pending too long, I call the lab, radiology, the RN or the MD to gently nudge them in the direction of admission or discharge.
I also receive positive culture results--STD's, MRSA, Wound infections---and follow up with the patient after reviewing the charge and talking with the MD about what antibiotic they need to be on. If they are not on an antibiotic, I will call it into the pharmacy that they use and have them pick it up. I give some telephone medical advise, but usually if they have a medical problem, I encourage them to either come to the emergency room or go to their primary doctor.
Another thing that I follow are animal bites. These are faxed to animal control. I also make sure that the patient is scheduled appropriately for vaccinations.
It is not difficult work, it can be busy, but it also can be long...
I have met some great people while working. One in particular has done things I wouldn't have expected. Mom called in a severe asthma attack, she did not want to go to the hospital. T was working on labs and she stopped what she was doing, found me a plane ticket for the next day for a very low cost! I ended up not going, but having someone do that for me when we really don't know each other well is amazing and a blessing! Thanks T!

Looked at, got husband to look and and bought a new house: http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/900-Steeple-Chase-Lane_Greensboro_NC_27406_1107659962?gate=msn&source=a2mszh1t042
(Pending financing, inspection)

Got the kids back into the swing of things with me at work---then packed them up and sent them to the in-laws for spring break. It has been weird, not having to rush home by 2:45pm. I catch myself looking at the clock and thinking I have to hurry, then laugh at myself. I have had leisure days riding around by myself. Jim was home on Saturday and Sunday, left very early Monday morning...I did not have to get up for anything!!! Still up at 8am...can't convince the bladder and the stomach to go back to sleep.

I've been to the doctor three times this week--the brace I have been wearing caused a massive rash/contact dermatitis and infection which is thankfully clearing up.
I see an orthopedic doctor on Thursday. I think that they are going to want to do surgery to fix, but I need an MRI prior to anything else. Maybe it will improve with time like my back has. The medications I take for my back have seemed to keep my knee pain to the minimum.
The problem is, when I am not wearing the knee brace, the knee has twisted and popped in the wrong direction twice and it is scary. I really didn't have any pain except the initial pain when I twisted it, but I am afraid if I keep doing this, I will eventually tear everything up.
So, for two days, I went without the brace and had to use crutches---ugg. Today went back in, got a cotton sleeve from the MD to put under the brace and she is letting me off the crutches.

I go to work tomorrow, armed with reading/study material. I will be taking the CEN exam (Certified Emergency Nurse) in September. We have formed a study group that meets once a month, but I still need to study on my own. There is also an intense class in August that I think I might try to take to make sure I know what I need to know.

Life is good...we are enjoying the kids, excited about the new house, excited about starting over (not really starting over but having a new house that we can do what we want with is very exciting!).

Blacky news

2009-04-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Good, sad news about Blacky. The tests came back negative. No shots for us. Wish we knew what happened. He is still missed:(

Fell through

2009-04-01T15:42:00.001-07:00

Well, the position at the outpatient clinic fell through. Apparently they do not need free help. Makes me frustrated and I feel like I must have presented myself poorly when I spent three hours there the other day...I have another possible position. Working with Guilford County Pediatrics...not sure what the job is, but it has to do with working with teens.
I also put in a plee to my manager....PLEASE, use me! Where ever I work, it will be charged to the ED, so it would make sense to use me...
My manage will let the Department head know I want to work!

Amilia got her bike out on Monday...weather was beautiful. Her knees were hitting her chin she has grown so much. So we bought her another bike, this one an 18 speed. She was very frustrated with it! She is not strong enough to change the gears so got stuck at the bottom of the hill. Walked the bike up, dropped it on the side of the road and said she did not want it any more. We did this about 5 times---with no more going down the hill, just riding on the flat. Each time, I got on the bike (with my knees the my chin), adjusted the gears until we have it perfect. She will leave it where it is. She can get up the little hills and go fast enough going down the little hills. She is just not riding down the big hill at the end of the road.
The kids are out riding right now. We have had rain, rain, rain and finally, a couple of hours ago, the sun came out. So after supper, I sent them out.

My knee gave out pretty bad yesterday. I had on a hinged knee brace that seemed to work, but when I was trying to get up off the floor (the kids and I were looking for games), then knee popped three times and I almost threw up...Still pretty sore, but I am wearing the expensive, itchy, heavy duty brace that makes my knee feel much more stable. I have fat upper thighs, so the inside metal part of the upper brace digs in and can hurt. I have discovered that using my fluffy winter sock covering the metal part helps. I have been able to walk around all day without difficulty...

JIM IS HOME! Got home yesterday, hopefully will be home until Sunday. I have a big honey due list, but don't know if it will get done...just glad he is home!

Outpatient Clinic

2009-03-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I spent from 10am to 1pm at the outpatient clinic run by Moses Cone. It is essentially a free clinic for people who cannot afford insurance and meet a certain financial criteria. The MD staffing is residents and one Attending so really, it is more a learning experience for the residents and free care for the patients that need it.
Part of this is also an Infectious Disease clinic that sees mostly HIV patients. Their care falls under the Ryan White Grant so their care is free as well. This clinic has over 1200 patients.
What I will be doing is what ever they need me to do. I can make phone calls to patients about test results, follow-up care, scheduling appointments. I can work out in the clinic and assist with patient care and I can assist with the pharmacy refills. Right now, a little confusing, but feels familiar because of working at Kaiser.
The staff are very happy I will be there because there is not funding for additional staffing and I will be paid through the ED. So basically, I am free help for the Outpatient clinic.
It is going to be a great learning experience and I plan to take some of the knowledge back to the ED. Because all we see in the ED are patients that are either discharged, admitted, sent to the OR or die, we don't have the awareness of how the outpatient clinic runs. So I plan on learning as much as I can and then presenting it to my fellow staff when I return to the ED.
It has been raining, raining, raining for the past few days. My front yard is a big puddle. But right after lunch, there was a period of time that there was no rain and both Nathan and Amilia went out and rode their bikes.
Nathan got a bike for Christmas (Jim picked it out) and it ended up being too big at that time. It is still a little big, but I started him out, showed him how the gears worked (running beside him) and he was able to quickly take off and start riding. He loves that he can down shift and get up the hill in our front yard. We also have quite a hill at the end of our street and he has never been able to ride up it. Today he did. Amilia has a bigger bike (then his old one) and she has been able to get up the hill without difficulty.
In the next three days, I am going to sort through more junk in the house and put together a good will pile. Every year, the school collects in a big tractor trailer all the good will stuff they can and the school gets school supplies per the number of pounds of stuff collected. I have Nathan's old bike, bags and bags of clothing, a sunroom to clean out and a shed to clean out. I wonder if they would take the swimming pool? It is in the garage and we have everything that goes with it. We will probably not use it this year (Grammy camp for the kids for the summer). More weight, more stuff!

Insane week

2009-03-27T05:03:00.000-07:00

Both kids went back to school today. Nathan went back yesterday, he seems to have bounced back a lot better than Amilia.
Amilia finally slept through the night last night. The night before, she cried herself to sleep and then was up and down, "I want Blacky".
This morning, only heard that once and it was a statement rather than a pitiful cry.
Although it has been rough, we (Nathan, Amilia and I) have spent a lot of time talking. Not just about Blacky and dying, but appropriate behaviour, especially when someone else is having a difficult time.
So on Wednesday morning, we had a mission. We were going to find two stuffed solid black cats to bring home to remind the kids of Blacky. WE WENT TO ELEVEN (11) STORES! All the while, waiting for the health department to call because we were told that if Blacky did have rabies, we would find out immediately and need to get rabies shots ourselves. 11 stores! with two sad kids! Finally, at the last place we went, the staff pulled out a catalog and found one to order. We placed the order and will have it in a week. At every store, we would look, then ask, and usually staff would say it would be easier to find that around Halloween. We would then go into the story and the need for a sleeping companion. Only black would do for Amilia. And she would walk around the store, pitiful look on her face. At each place, the staff would send us to another store. I was very impressed at the outpouring of sympathy and assistance.
I was very tired by the end of the day! Then Amilia again couldn't sleep.
The kids have "Benchmark testing" all this week and I was not going to send Amilia in to take tests when she was having a hard time just with every day tasks. She will be making the rest of them up today. She understands that she will probably be testing all day, but it will be one on one and she tests so much better like that.
Yesterday, she stayed home again, was much quieter, not crying as much and we were able to find a stuffed panda that had fur that felt like blacky's. So we got that for her. In the midst of all of this, the cell phone wouldn't charge. I bought a car charger and it did not work. So yesterday we went to three sprint stores before getting it to work. The last one we went to (Just Amilia and I) and we waited about 30 minutes, then had to leave to get Nathan. They told me if I made an appointment, I would get seen sooner. So I made an appointment, left, got Nathan, stopped at Krispy Creme for a snack for Nathan and locked my keys and phones in the car....what a day! Thank God for AAA! and for friendly, helpful people. One of the ladies in line at Krispy Creme had a phone and another one had a AAA card so I was able to call and someone came about 30 minutes later, took him less then 30 seconds to pop open the car!
Next was the return to Sprint. They took me right away, the technician offered to upgrade (down grade actually) my phone for only $99 dollars...nope, just fix the phone, it was less than a year old. He plugged it in and it started charging! So I figure, I had a jinxed phone yesterday. Bought a new car charger (it worked!) and bought a new house charger...prior to opening the box for the new house charger, I unplugged the one I had, plugged it into another outlet and low and behold, the phone was charging.
If things were not so off, I would normally have done that. Now I think of the wasted time yesterday...but we did get a Panda for Amilia and I spent the day with Amilia.
Also ended up getting a call from the outpatient clinic at Moses Cone and they are going to put me to work while my knee gets better...YEAH!!! Daytime hours, Monday through Friday!

Missing Blacky

2009-03-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

Last night was a rough night for all of us. Amilia cried herself to sleep last night, I spent quite a bit of time lying with her. It is heart breaking watching your child so inconsolable...she just kept saying "I want Blacky". She finally went to sleep.
Nathan ended up lying down with us in bed for awhile. He didn't cry, but said "I'm very sad." Then he just laid there with us. Our child who talks non-stop was silent.
After he went to bed, Jim and I laid together and talked about Blacky. He was a "scrappy cat", always coming in with scrapes, cuts, limping. We don't know what he was doing out there in the wilds of Greensboro, but he found someone or something to fight with. He also blessed his family with meals...we have found mice, rats, birds, baby rabbits sitting right in front of the back door. He wanted to keep us well fed.
Most of the time, if we couldn't find him and we knew he was in the house, he would be on a high shelf or on top of the entertainment center. We would call him and he would peer over the edge, looking to see if he really wanted to come down or just stay out of reach.
The last time I saw him, before he got mean, he was at the back door, on his back feet, stretched all the way up to the door knob with both front feet on the door knob. I'm sure if he had the strength, he would have let himself out.
This morning, both kids are home. They have Benchmark testing today and I do not feel that they would do well today on any tests. They do have make up day on Friday.
Amilia is still asleep. I don't expect to see her for another couple of hours.
I looked into Nathan's room this morning to find his bed empty. I figured he had gotten up and was either eating or watching TV. Walked around the house and couldn't find him. So I went back to his room and quietly called him. Up pops his head from the other side of the bed. He had fallen off the bed this morning and just stayed there with all of his blankets and stuffed animals around him. So we talked some this morning. He, lying on the floor, and I, lying over the edge of his bed. He is handling this well. He says he is still sad. We talked about things that Blacky did and what we would miss about him, he cried a little, but he seems to be doing well. Blacky was his cat, or rather, he was Blacky's boy.
We still have Hiway, the cat we didn't really want (the kids did, I just saw him as another being to take care of at the time). Hiway seems to be affected as well. He has stayed close to the house, did not go out last night like usual and only went out this morning for a short period of time. He has never been without another cat. Maybe he will start spending more time with the kids.
So today, we are going to go to toys r us and get two stuffed black cats. Amilia really needs something to hold, Nathan will feel left out.

Blacky

2009-03-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

This morning while mowing, my neighbor called and left a message that Blacky was at her house and had attacked her. She did not get injured, but it scared her. Blacky is our all black cat that we have had for three years. He has always been very friendly and sweet, so I did not think that this was our cat.

When I got there, I discovered it was Blacky. He let me come and pick him up, but then started snarling and trying to bite me.

I immediately got him into a cat kennel and brought him to the vet.

They gave him anesthesia so they could check him out without getting injured themselves and found an old healing bite on his front leg.

I had made an appointment two months prior to get his rabies shot updated but I was not able to find him at the time and never followed up.

So this afternoon, we had to put Blacky to sleep. The vet thinks he has rabies because of the behavior and having missed his rabies shot (by a year:(. ).

The entire family is upset, but especially me and Amilia. Me because I should have brought him in to the vet and gotten his shots updated. Amilia because she was so attached to him.

We will miss him.

Spring cleaning

2009-03-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

So, I am still home, working on cleaning and organizing.
This morning, after dropping off the kids, I got the lawnmower out and started mowing. Got about 3/4's done when I realized that I was going over the same spot over and over. The blades will no longer engage! Argg. Jim will be home this afternoon and if he is not able to fix, I will go the to guy down the street where we got the mower and ask if he will come and fix it for us.
Next thing on my list of things to do is finish cleaning the kitchen and dining room, then to the bedroom and living room. I want to get this done by noon because Jim will be home around then and I want the house to be looking good. I have been home, don't want it to look like pigs live here. Or lazy old woman with messy, disorganized children...

Great Morning

2009-03-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Lately, every morning has been a struggle. Amilia is not a morning person and she bugs Nathan on purpose.
Nathan is a morning person and is up as soon as he is told or before if he wakes up. He always wakes up starving!
Amilia does not want to eat when she gets up. We have to force her to eat because after the ADHD meds kick in, she just picks at lunch.
This morning, they both got up, got dressed and were ready for school without any bickering or arguing. YEAH. I think getting up to a clean room helps. We also have a new hanging container in the closet that is labeled Monday through Friday. Both kids got it ready last night so there were no searching for socks, etc.
After the kids got off to school, I returned one of the plastic bins we bought because it was cracked and was missing a handle. Then went food shopping for the week. Found some great bargains on the plastic clogs...they are lined with faux lambs wool and are very comfy, so I bought two for each of the kids in their size and the next size up and one for Jim and I.
One of the other things I started with the kids this morning was setting their alarm clocks. Unfortunately, Amilia's was on loud buzzer so as soon as it went off, she started crying. So while out, got her another alarm clock that has "nature sounds" so I can set it to go off 15 minutes before she needs to get up and she will hopefully wake up more slowly.
We also have a new chore list but I need to find a good place to put it and have good rewards for completing.
I admit, I am not the best with follow through and they are at the age where they need it. So that is another commitment. I will follow through when I say I will to the kids. We are going to finish their rooms this week and I am going to finish cleaning the house this week. I am not able to get into to see the MD to go back to work until later this week, so I have lots of time to clean and organize.
Then, I think I might hire someone to come in once or twice a week to clean. But until the house in not a complete wreck, I do not feel comfortable doing that. Maybe by the end of the week.

House Cleaning

2009-03-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

This morning, Amilia's room finally got to me. It has been an ongoing battle to get her and Nathn to clean them up. Daisy sleeps with her or with Nathan so not only is there dirty and clean clothing scattered all around, toys, dolls, horses, stuffed animals, paper, trash and food, but it is all covered with hair. I took all of her stuff and tossed it on her bed while she was out playing in the beautiful sunny weather.
She was pissed when she came in. She could not find anything and she could not play in her room. So, I told her that once everything was off the floor, we would vacuum, then go and get something to put her stuff in. I also told Nathan that while Amilia and I were finishing her room, he was to put all of his stuff on his bed so we could vacuum.
So, the kids and I went to McDonald's for lunch, then spent a bit of money on plastic storage containers. Nathan said his first cuss word without thinking. Amilia was being a pill in the car and Nathan told her to stop being a smart ass. Told him I used to get a mouth full of Ivory soap for that. Told him that if he cusses again, he will get a mouth full of Irish Spring (only bar soap we have, it's Jim's) Called Jim while in the car to tell him and Jim wouldn't stop laughing. Hard to keep a straight face while driving and telling the story and needed Nathan to realize we were serious. Anyways, sounded funny coming out of his mouth, but he should not be saying it anymore.
I think I vacuumed up more hair than what is actually on Daisy right now. I found the source of the ant attraction and Amilia found a library book she has been missing for months...it was under her bed.
She finally gave out about 5pm...I was pretty impressed because she stuck with it and continued to work with me the entire time (it was about 2 hours). What is left is three boxes (one very large!) full of her stuff and clear, clean places for her to put her stuff during the next week. We are going to work on each room every day until it is completely done.
So next we had to order Dominoes...too tired to cook!
Then I got to tackle Nathan's. Needless to say, he spent most of the time playing with stuff he discovered as he was putting stuff on his bed. I finally threatened to take everything left on the floor, put it in a bag and bring it to good will. He finished. But not without me being in there. So, in his room, I found candy rappers galore under his bed as well as lots and lots of Daisy hair. He also did great when I finally came in. He actually ended up with a green garbage bag full of toys to go to good will...YEAH Nathan! We had to stop at 8:30pm so Amilia could go to sleep. He also is left with three boxes of stuff to be sorted and put away.
So, tonight, for the first time since I hurt my knee, I am actually physically tired. I have been very lazy for the last three weeks. I have done my PT and that's about it.
I have been tired and depressed, but this certainly makes me feel much better.
I did have a couple of tweeks in my knee, so I will not work tomorrow. I am scheduled to go to the doctor on Friday, but I am going to try and get in sooner, was planning for tomorrow, but now will wait until Tuesday. I have been in a knee brace up until yesterday, took it off to see if I could manage without it because the ED will not let me come back until I have it off.
Did great yesterday, a couple of tweeks today but no really lasting pain. I am off to bed to ice the knee and sleep.
Tomorrow, I will tackle the rest of my room. I started on mine, but then got really involved with the kids. My room isn't that bad, just lots of clutter accumulated that needs to go in other rooms.
Good Night

New Season

2009-03-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a year since I have posted. A year of ups and downs.
Today I sat and read mom's, Am's, Tee's, Shanna's blogs and wished I had taken the time to put more down in the last year.
So many things have happened.
It has been a difficult year.
Jim gone most of the time.
I'm raising my children alone, children that are wild, crazy, delightful, loving, smart, sassy, beautiful, and very difficult at times.
Spent much of the early part of last year trying to heal my back...hoping that someone would just do surgery and fix it.
Struggling with Amilia and her reading. She is so frustrated but then gives up. So smart, can repeat anything she has seen on TV or has had read to her but when she picks up a book, reads one word at a time. Gives up before she has really tried.
Trying to keep up with Nathan...talks, talks, talks---I realized recently that he has not stopped talking since shortly after birth. Now when he talks, he actually has to explain things to me...I have no idea what he is talking about. He has an amazing mind. Reads constantly (when not allowed on the computer). I must find other things for him to do on the computer other than rodblox.
Last summer was amazing. Spend 5 weeks doing what I loved...playing with kids outside but providing medical care when necessary. Gave my kids an experience that they will never forget. Meeting new kids every week, learning how to get along with new kids in a big group. Playing outside, swimming, learning how to shoot bb guns, horseback riding. They loved it, I loved it.
I am going to try and do it again this year.
Jim ruptured two disc's in his back at the beginning of last summer. Then his work turned down his worker's comp. claim. So no money coming in, no insurance for the month of August, Jim in severe pain for 3 weeks. The great thing was, by the end of 9 weeks, he was pain free and returned to work. Continues to be pain free most of the time. Has started working correctly, using a back brace and a hand cart.
On August 31st, I woke up in the middle of the night with severe pain. Ended up being a single kidney stone in my right ureter. Oh the agony. Worse then child birth...and I have done that twice! A week later, woke up again in the early morning hours with pain that was even worse. Ended up with a lodged kidney stone, hydronephrosis (enlarged kidney full of fluid), pylonephritis (kidney infection) and was in the OR by 10AM. Weeks to recover, again, no money coming in.
At the end of September, again, severe pain but on the right side. This time, turns out to be an Ovarian Cyst that had ruptured. Recovered quickly.
Next came the persistent palpitations. Pretty constant, very weak and fatigued when having them. So the next round of specialists. Cardiologist put me on lopressor which works wonders! Had an Echo Cardiogram of my heart after three abnormal EKG's and my heart is in great shape...could be early perimenopause...come to find out, Mom started early 40's, Thanks Ma! I have had the hot flashes and sweats as well so guess I just have to live through until it is over...can't wait until no period!
December turned out to be one of the worst months of our family's life.
Nathan and Amilia went to the dentist for their routine dental exams. They were both due for their every two year panoramic x-ray. Nathan's showed a tumor/cyst in his upper right jaw. One of his teeth was missing and the rest of the permanent teeth were pushed up or back and crooked. His canine tooth was all the way up into his maxillary sinus.
Jim was just about to leave town but I was able to get him before he left, he met me in town and we brought Nathan to Dr. Mohorn, one of the best oral surgeons in Greensboro.
We have a fantastic babysitter/nanny. I called her from the dentist office and she met with us in town and took Amilia home. WE LOVE LAUREN!
At the surgeons office, Nathan got a CT of his head. The surgeon was still unable to tell what type of tumor he had. But it had to come out as soon as possible.
So three days later, Nathan had it removed. Again, the surgeon could not give us a definite answer as to what was removed. However, it was worse than he thought. He thought he would find a fluid filled cyst with the tooth inside. Instead, it was a jelly like substance with the tooth inside. Much more ominous. We did not get the results until December 23rd. He had what is called and Amilioblatoma which is a form of cancer that usually is not malignant and when it is removed entirely, it will not return.
So we go back to the Dentist every 3 months for a Panoramic x-ray at least for a year, then I do not know how often. Thank-God he was ok.
He did end up getting a pretty bad sinus infection because the surgery included breaking the bone to the sinus cavity but with antibiotics, he is fine. He ended up having 4 baby teeth and 2 permanent teeth removed. At some point he will need braces, possibly a spacer until the permanent teeth come down.
And the latest fiasco is on the one day that there is ice in North Carolina, I, the New Englander, slipped on the ice, injuring my left shoulder and right knee. I have been out of work since the 3rd of March, I finally go back tomorrow (I hope!).
So today, I decided that I am tired of having all this crap happen.
My back is much better.
My knee is much better.
The kids have had a great weekend.
I paid all of my bills today.
I filed my taxes yesterday. And I get money back!
The weather is gorgeous.
The house will be cleaned today, all windows opened and aired out.
I go back to work tomorrow with a cheerful heart.
I will continue to try and get a daytime position, but while on nights, I will work on going to bed as soon as I get home in the morning and getting up when the kids get home.
I will have breakfast every morning.
I will walk at least three times a week.
I will continue with my PT exercises daily.
I will start taking the kids to the Y more often.
I will pray daily.
I will read my bible more often.
I will write in my blog more often.
I have decided that this is for me right now. I am writing for me but if anyone reads this, feel free to comment, call, write, etc.
For now, I have to do this for me.
This is my New Season.

camp weaver

2008-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Camp weaver

2008-03-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

This was taken early February! We love living in North Carolina!

2008-03-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

The big hit of the party was the moon walk. Although we planned several games with lots of prizes, this was the overwhelming choice of things to do and the kids played only two games all together...spent the rest of the time resting, jumping in the moon walk, resting, eating cake, jumping in the moon walk, resting....you get the picture. Amilia was a little overwhelmed with everyone being there for Nathan and not for her. She spent some time pouting in her room, but overall, I think she also had a great time.

Both kids got up late this morning, complaining of aches and pains in their bodies and very, very tired! So tonight, to bed early!

2008-03-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

NATHAN IS 9 !!!

Wow, we had a great party on Sunday for him. The cake was made by me and decorated by both me and my very talented husband. He took a copy of Pekachoo and Wobbafet and drew them on the cake, then we both filled in.

Nathan loved it! It was just what he wanted, the colors he wanted.

March

2008-03-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Wow, once again, time is flying by
The past couple of weeks have been a struggle for all of us. Nathan started with an early morning emergency room visit because he could not breath. His croup got so bad we were not able to break it with the usual steamy shower. We spent a couple of hours where I work, not working...
Then when he completed his prednisone he started running a high fever...so, the nurse in me thinks this is now pneumonia. I had Jim stay home from work and bring him to the doctor. Jim comes home and says the doctor told him it was just a cold.
The next morning, I get home from work to a completely dark house. By this time, the kids should already be at school...no one is up. I go in to wake Jim and find he is burning up. His temp is 104! He rolls over and says "Amilia has been up all night, she is sick."
So, I go check on Amilia and find she has a fever of 103.8!
Nathan has a fever of 101!
Next I go to the store to stock up on fluids...Gatorade, ginger ale, Popsicles. Anything that I think I can get everyone to drink.
I also get cough medicine, Airborne, Zicam, and two different types of yogurt that are supposed to boost your immunity.
I start making my rounds, medicating and pushing fluids...this is after working 12.5 hours in the emergency room overnight.
Because I have three sick kids (HAHA), I have to start writing down times of who got what when because I started not remembering what I gave last.
By noon, I collapse into bed, Jim crashes on the couch and the kids continue to sleep or watch TV. The next day, they are all still very sick. I have continued to medicate every 3-4 hours to try and keep the fevers down.
At one point both Jim and Amilia start getting delirious...It was actually quite funny. Jim kept insisting that it was Saturday when in fact, it was only Wednesday. Amilia kept telling me what Nathan was doing wrong...Nathan was not even in the room.
In the middle of all of this, Jim's work calls (After I called and told them he was very sick), and calls and calls. They called about 8 times before Jim finally relents and says he will go out to British Columbia. He is still running a high fever, he gets weak and tired just moving around.
I am also getting very worried because a cold should not make you this sick. I finally found the paperwork that Jim brought home from the doctor and find that Nathan does indeed have the flu...what a relief. These symptoms are typical flu symptoms...And I got my flu shot!!!
Nathan got better and returned to school. Jim left for British Columbia and Amilia continued to feel sick through the rest of the week. By the weekend, she was feeling much better and went to school on Monday.
On Monday afternoon, she started complaining of a bad headache...I too had had a headache and lower back pain for the past couple of days. So Amilia stayed home on Tuesday through Friday. Every day, she complained of a headache and she was not eating. I took her in to the doctor on Wednesday and she just had another virus. She also has lost 4 pounds since July! So we changed her ADHD medications (again) and hope that she will start eating lunch!
On Thursday, I started coughing and running a fever and still had the same headache that I had had since the weekend and my lower back was very achy. So I did not go to work on Friday night.
On Saturday, I woke up...no headache, no backache, no fever! Finally I felt normal!
Amilia woke up the same! And she started eating again!
So yesterday, we spent much of the day cleaning the house. The kids have been doing great with their "chores" that they have to do each week. We make a list, then each week, they take turns on who picks first and they pick their chores. One of the chores I still have a hard time believing they like to do is cleaning the bathrooms. And they do a great job!
We have to get the house completely organized and cleaned as Nathan has his big birthday party on Sunday. I have been using my sun room as a catch all for everything that does not have a home. I pulled everything out into the living room, vacuumed and have gone through most of the boxes and junk in there.
Today we finish the organizing so my house looks like I have lived here for awhile instead of still having boxes of stuff everywhere...
Jim is supposed to get home on Tuesday then have off until the following Monday. Time to recover, clean the yard and be ready for the party on Sunday.
The weather has been rainy and windy. But we expect to have warm sunny days in the next week. Nathans party day should be in the high sixty's and sunny.
The bulbs we planted in the fall have started flowering. We have had crocuses for about a month, the daffodils have been up for a couple of weeks. I have Hyacinth's that I did not expect for another couple of weeks.
Last week (when everyone was feeling a little stir crazy from being in the house), we went out and got tons of seeds and starter pots. This afternoon if I get the living room cleared out, we will plant the seeds inside. Next week, we will plant a bunch of flowers all around the house as I do not think we will have any more frosts.
I started weight watchers about two months ago and have lost 22 pounds! I still have a but to go, but some of my clothes no longer fit! Such a great feeling!

February already--late posting!

2008-02-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

Time has just flown by.

Today there is a light fog, I have walked around and opened all of the windows because it is getting warm. It is supposed to be up to 71 degrees.

For the last couple of weeks we have had our "winter". It got down to the 20's for a few days, we actually had snow on the ground for about a day and had school canceled due to the anticipation of snow.

Last week Amilia and I discovered the crocuses that were planted in the fall have bloomed...so early! We were not expecting them for another month at least.

We plan to have a big garden this year and I need to re-adjust my thinking on planting times. In New England, you cound not plant outside until late sping. I can plant here much earlier but I do not yet know how much earlier. It is only February! I still think of it as winter! But is it to be 71 degrees today!

I have been voluteering at the kids school. I really enjoy getting in there, spending time with the kids in the classroom and getting to know the kids teachers. They love me coming in right now. Lets hope that it continues for awhile.

I have been working every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. We have been extremely busy!

Jim's work keeps him busy. He is still loving what he does as well.

Last day of the year!

2007-12-31T07:04:00.001-08:00

So, December 31st.
We have had quite the year.
We moved from Greenville North Carolina to Greensboro North Carolina for my job. I now work at a smaller hospital in the Emergency Room. And I love it!
Jim changed driving companies shortly after moving to Greensboro. He loves his job. The hours/miles are more consistent. It is for a small company within a big company so we enjoy the health benefits, retirement benefits that would come with a big company.
Amilia and Nathan started at a new school. Nathan is being tested for Accelerated Learning. Amilia is being tested for learning disabilities. Her head injury two years ago may have a much longer lasting effect than we had anticipated.
Amilia and Nathan started riding lessons. Nathan no longer taking lessons but he loves going to the barn and pushing around the wheelbarrows...
Amilia had the opportunity to ride a larger pony at the stables near our house for a couple of weeks, but then the owner stopped allowing her to come over because she says "you're driving me crazy." About the same time I was getting stressed out because she was not giving me clear directions of what she wanted me to do! So, although Amilia is no longer riding Peaceful, the short amount of intensive riding improved her riding abilities enormously! She is now very confident and able to post without difficulty. She will continue riding Magic until she can canter on her and keep her seat. She is improving quickly. What she does from week to week is amazing growth and learning. She now gets an hour (because Nathan has stopped) and Annette, her instructor is amazed at how well she is riding now.
I hurt my back on September 17th and I am still struggling with the pain and with work. I did not work for 3 months, went back and had to immediately stop again. I had an injection of steroids about 3 weeks ago that lasted about 10 days. I worked two weekends, then stopped working again. So, I am scheduled for another injection on Friday. Hopefully, it will bring great results and I will be pain free for longer.
So we say goodbye to 2007 and pray for a happy, healthy 2008!

Writing

2007-12-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

I love to write.

There is so much in my mind that I want to come out, that I want to put on paper.

But sitting down and taking the time to write has been hard.

If I put it down on paper, (computer) it is permanent.

I have not written in the past few months because what I have had in my mind has been dark, depressing, not how I want to be seen.

Today, for the first time in months, I woke up and felt like the sun was shining. My heart felt light, the heaviness I have had has been lifted.

Back pain is almost gone, I have gone back to work, I have found horses to be near.

Horses. There is only one smell like them. It is a smell that I would recognise even if I did not see the horses. Pungent, not sour, smells like the outside, smells to me like work, happiness, satifaction. I love the smell of horses

Horses. I love it when they stick their heads out over the stall and sniff you with their noses close to your head. Softly stroking the side of their silky smooth head, itching up behind the ears. They rub back, pushing with their noses for more. Nibbling with their mouths, tasting your skin or clothing. Inquisitive, checking you out.

Horses. The way they move. So graceful, so smooth. Such large animals, controlled simply with a small bit and a pair of reins.

2007-12-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

Amilia on Peaceful, trotting and posting...in the background is Joan.

Baby girl

2007-12-18T05:58:00.000-08:00

My baby girl...she looks so small!

December

2007-12-18T05:37:00.000-08:00

This morning, frost was on the ground, the air was cold and dry. But by afternoon, it should be quite warm again (compared to the northern relatives).
For the past couple of months I have been struggling with a back injury that occurred on September 17th. Along with the pain, I had isolation because I was not working and do not yet have a network of friends here in Greensboro. So, as a result, I got depressed, did not want to do anything at all, spent much of my time lying around in bed (back pain), watching TV, reading and feeling sorry for myself.
A week and a half ago, I got an injection in my back which has help the back pain tremendously! Before, I could not sit for longer than 10-15 minutes without having shooting pains down my legs. Now I can sit as much as I want and no significant increase in the leg pain. YEAH!
Life has gotten so much better...God is good!
Last weekend, a dog came into my yard. It was an unfamiliar dog and Daisy was out. I did not want Daisy playing with a dog she did not know (I also did not want an accidental breeding). So I caught the dog and heard yelling over at the stables next to our house. Amilia and I walked the dog over to the Stables and finally met our neighbor Joan. What a wonderful thing! She needed some help around the stables and in return, Amilia and I get to ride!
I have ridden twice (oh the aching muscles after!) and Amilia has ridden several times. She has gone from a tentative rider to bold and outgoing. She so wants to let the pony run but does not yet have the seat or the balance for this. She has put together the rhythm of trotting and posting and she looks amazing riding. And so tiny! She is riding this great big Welsh mix pony! At first I was fearful of her falling but now, she just moves with Peaceful as she trots around the ring. The ring has a layer of sand that would cushion her if she happened to fall...and I as a kid, used to fall all the time and did not get hurt...
Nathan has ridden a couple of times for a short period of time, but he is not enjoying it as Amilia does. He, instead, plays with the many dogs that Joan has (she has 18!), or he plays in the dirt pile by the riding ring, or he goes back home and plays on the computer.
Jim is in Toronto today. He will hopefully start home tonight and be home tomorrow.
I have been working again and now that I do not have leg pain, love my job! I work with a great group of Nurses and Nursing Techs. When we are busy, everyone pitches in, when we are quiet, we all sit around talking and joking (two very bad words in the emergency department--busy and quiet...I cannot believe I put time down on the computer!).
I am off to Physical Therapy for my back (it still hurts some, but not at all like before the injection), then will spend the late morning, early afternoon cleaning the many stalls that Joan has (instead of going to the gym, I shovel poo).

Sad day

2007-09-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

Last night was a very emotionally hard night. I had a patient that was in her thirties with two teenaged children that accidently poisoned herself with floor stripper. Someone had put it in a pepsi bottle and someone else put it on the kitchen table and she took a swallow of it. When she arrived at the Emergency Room, she was still able to talk and swallow but quickly went down hill. Within 15 minutes she was having severe difficulty breathing as the floor stripper was very caustic and burned all the way down. We were able to put a breathing tube in with moderate difficulty and stablized her until she got to the ICU. But her prognosis is very poor. It is third degree type burns on the inside. I took care of a similar patient a few years ago and unfortunately he died after a few weeks of being very ill. I had to tell her children that their mom was very ill...very hard when you cannot give the typical...she'll be ok sort of thing.
I cried on my way home. It was a hard shift.
Do not store anything in drinking containers except for drinking liquids...please.

School

2007-08-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Well, after a lot of stress, yelling, headaches, thought and agony, we have decided to send the kids to public school. We have tried for three weeks to work but I have not been able to pull together enough structure and the kids are unwilling to sit and work without a lot of pushing and yelling. So, yesterday, after the kids have been saying all along, we don't want to go to school, I get first from Nathan, I want to go to public school and then 30 minutes later from Amilia, I want to go to school, so, I am going to get everything filled out and they start on the 28th. Amilia started on a new medication for her ADHD that is different from what she was taking, so hopefully will work better for her.
They are excited that they now have the rest of the summer to play, no work on school work.

New Job

2007-08-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Jim starts a new driving job on Wednesday. He will be on a dedicated route, same amount of miles (same amount of Money), every week. The route will vary each week but will repeat every couple of months (I think...). It is for a better company, better benefits, paid holiday and paid vacation. And a lot less stress trying to balance being out at work and being home. He will be home every weekend from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon and most week home one or two times for a few hours during the week which will be nice. Having the kids homeschool means he will be able to spend more time with them when he is home. These next couple of months will be an adjustment but hopefully when all is said and done, I will be able to reduce my hours so that I can be home more with the kids...well, I am home more...I will be awake more!

Day two

2007-08-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

What a challenge! Getting the kids to sit and stay focused is a lot of work. But, we made it through most of what was planned. Amilia is surprising me...she knows a lot more than she lets on. But, she is still struggling with reading fluently. That is my goal for this month, to help her read better. Nathan has complained of a headache both days, shortly after sitting down and starting work. I think I need to give him less challenging stuff to start with and increase the difficulty. But I still do not know all that they don't know so it is another challenge. This afternoon we are going to the science museum in Raleigh to learn some while having fun.

School

2007-08-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the first day of school for the kids. We started homeschooling now to get a jump on figuring out how we are going to do it. Amilia needs to read better so we have been working on phonics with her and Nathan wants to do more math, so he did math. Then we read some about Jamestown and then the kids drew pictures and wrote sentences about the story. They are asking about "recess" and "going to lunch"...I have to break them of the public school mind set. Though they are excited about our field trip tomorrow. We have to get new tires on the van and they think that will be fun...
They "went to school" this morning in their pj's...they thought that was fun. We only spent two hours working, but that was enough. My biggest challenge right now is going to be getting Amilia to sit still and Nathan to be able to work when I am teaching Amilia. Nathan found the noise "distracting", so Amilia and I went to another room but he "can still hear you!". Nathan has been able to work by himself once I start him but he does not alway stay on task. We have to work on some insentives to get him to work. Until Amilia can read I have to really work with her.
Tomorrow we work on cursive writing (they both can do together), more of Jamestown and some worksheets I picked up today. Eventually I will be ordering a curriculum but right now we do not have the money to do it so we are working with what we have and what I find on line.
They both continuously ask questions...many that I do not have the answers for but we are learning places on line that we can look things up. All kinds of fun!

We've Moved

2007-06-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

We have been crazy up until today. I have had to work a weird scedule with extra hours and our new babysitter bailed out on us last Friday. She wanted more money...we were already paying her more than what we were paying our last babysitter in Greenville. So, stresssssss. But, I put an ad on Craigslist, got a call the same night, interviewed Lauren on Friday and she started on Monday...and she is great!
We will be unpacking for weeks...you know how that is. The house we moved to is bigger and has more closet space than the other house. We have unpacked the esentials but still have about 25 boxes in the sunroom that I need to sort through and put stuff away. I packet all the dishes in a few different boxes and have not yet found them all so we are operating on 3 plates, a bunch of bowls and one glass...I got plastic plates and stuff from Walmart, but it does not hold up that great...
We will FINALLY start a new church on Sunday. I hope to make some good friends and find some friends for the kids. I have started making friends at work. I hope to start doing stuff with some ladies Thursday.
The kids have adjusted well...I stopped all of their medications the week after we got here and after a 10 days of wild behavior, they have finally settled down and are behaving great! Right now they only spend time with me, the sitter and each other but they are getting along great, playing together or separate and have become much more helpful around the house.
Nathan has not had any allergy symptoms at all since arriving and has been off the allergy medications...all of it started a year ago when we had moved into the house in Greenville. Since being here, nothing, no congestion, no sick looking kid! He has had mild headaches but they go away with Motrin...so I think the house was making him sick.
I am still struggling with being tired, but working nights and having the kids home during the day is a challenge. I have adjusted my schedule so that I am not working more than one night in a row. This starts tomorrow. So hopefully I won't be so tired because I will be getting more nights home sleeping. The problem I have is that I work a couple of nights, get adjusted, then cannot sleep at night when I am home. I plan on taking naps during the day before I work all night and then staying up all day the day after I work then hopefully sleeping allllll night. We will see.

New Job

2007-05-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

Well, now I get to talk about all the exciting ED stuff...I am so glad to be back in the ED. From day one, I felt like I was stepping in familiar shoes that fit and are very comfortable, worn in just the right places, molded to my foot. It was such a relief.
Wesley Long is busy, usually not overwhelmingly so, but busy enough that I am working most of the night...and that makes time fly.
My first weekend, we had a patient us his arm as a deadly weapon, one that we staff stayed away from until we were properly covered with protective clothing from head to toe. This man had put his arm through a window and cut an artery so when he was waving it around, blood just flew. There was blood on the walls, floor, ceiling and on us. After putting on face shields, liquid proof gowns, shoe covers and gloves, about six of us went in, pinned him down and gave him a shot which took about 15 minutes to calm him down. He was high on crack...we see that and alcohol alot...so begins my ED life...
One of the things I enjoy the most is even though I am not a doctor, I have enough experience that when someone comes in, I can usually figure out what is wrong...for example, we had a young lady come in complaining of nausea and vomiting. I further questioned her and she complained of a sore throat...I asked the doctor if I could run a strep throat with all of her other labs and I WAS RIGHT...she had strep throat...The doc came up to me before going to the patient and said "Good job, you called it right!" Made my night.
The thing about the ED is immediate gratification for most of the work we do...for example, I had a patient come in who was vomiting, had been for 24 hours, felt awful. I put in an IV and drew the labs in one stick (nothing like the flash of blood in the IV when you hit the vein on the first stick), hung a liter of IV fluids and give some medications for nausea...I get immediate gratification because the IV went in, I got the labs, and as soon as the medication is in, the patient is no longer feeling awful. I finish the liter of fluids and the patient feels much better! Unfortunately this is not always the case, but it happens enough to keep going and be excited about the job...
We see broken bones that sometimes we set, sometimes not, but we give medications to ease the pain...
We sober up a lot of drunks...some wanting help, some wanting a warm bed and a meal...
We see a lot of nausea and vomiting or abdominal pain...
We see STD's, UTI's and Detox.
The group of nurses I work with are great...mostly we work as a team, no one acting better than others.
The biggest complaint I have is getting the doctors to work faster, to see patients and discharge faster...I am surprised at how long a patient has to wait on a stretcher to be seen. I am used to the wait in the waiting room, not back in the ED. The labs are usually quick as are the radiology reports. Usually what the patient waits for is for the physician to see the patient. Oh well, can't have everything yet...

House

2007-05-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we got the house! We are very excited, the house is big enough for all of our "stuff", with space to move around...I will be moving a van load of boxes tomorrow and sleeping there on my weekend.
I interview two people over the weekend for babysitting for me. Both sound like they would work out well. So things are falling into place...we have prayed and prayed...God is Good!
We will be moving the bulk of our belongings on the 22nd through the 25th, the kids will go to the new house over the weekend and be babysat there, then we will live in a bare house, sleeping on air mattresses, and make the final out of the house on the 31st. The kids will go to school for their last day and I will finish cleaning the house. They will miss the last week of school, but the teachers have no problems with this.
Nathan took a reading placement test on Monday and tested 5th grade, 1 month...he is in 2nd grade! We are so excited. Really concidering homeschooling so that he does not get bored in school...he is having that problem now. He will finish his work way before everyone else and then get himself into trouble. I bought him a 3rd grade "everything you need to know" book and he has already completed most of the math work. We just have to get him to start working more with writing...reading, no problem!
I think Amilia with do well with homeschooling as well because she does so much better when I sit right with her while she is doing any work. If left alone, she dilly dallies and takes forever. I think that she just needs more one on one and I will do that for her. We will start over the summer and see how it goes. We have to declare that we are homeschooling 30 days before school starts, so that gives us plenty of time to get things in order and see if I can homeschool them! Amilia has her doubts at times...she says that her teacher is much smarter and knows a lot more than I do...I told her that anything we needed to learn, we could look up...
Well, gotta go finish cleaning...

More cake

2007-05-03T08:31:00.001-07:00

More cake, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

He knocks it down

2007-05-03T08:30:00.007-07:00

He knocks it down, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Dad with the pinata

2007-05-03T08:30:00.005-07:00

Dad with the pinata, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Nathan with the pinata

2007-05-03T08:30:00.003-07:00

Nathan with the pinata, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Amilia with the pinata

2007-05-03T08:30:00.001-07:00

Amilia with the pinata, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Before coming down

2007-05-03T08:29:00.003-07:00

Before coming down, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Before coming down

2007-05-03T08:29:00.001-07:00

Before coming down, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Nathan painting

2007-05-03T08:28:00.003-07:00

Nathan painting, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

He really is having a good time! This is the first year that he was excited for Amilia, not disappointed that the party was not for him...they are growing up so fast!

Highway in a bag

2007-05-03T08:28:00.001-07:00

Highway in a bag, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Amilia's birthday cake

2007-05-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

Amilia's birthday cake, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Believe it or not, I did not decorate this one! I was sooo tired getting home from work, I made the frosting, put the blue and green on then went to bed...when I woke up, the cake fairy had finished the cake! Actually Jim did it and I am sooooo impressed!

Balloon game

2007-05-03T08:26:00.005-07:00

Balloon game, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Jim and Uncle Allen putting up the pinata

2007-05-03T08:26:00.003-07:00

Jim and Uncle Allen putting up the pinata, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Looking at the LOOT

2007-05-03T08:26:00.001-07:00

Looking at the LOOT, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Birthday party

2007-05-03T08:25:00.003-07:00

Birthday party, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Amilia painting horses with Aunt Judy and Natalie. Her birthday was a success even though only one child came. She had a blast! I was worried because we sent out 9 invitations and got no RSVP's! She wanted HORSES, so I ordered stuff on line for 10 kids! We now have 7 left over party packs...I think I am going to put them together as "girl gifts" and she can give them to her friends for birthdays...

Amilias tooth

2007-05-03T08:25:00.001-07:00

Amilias tooth, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Amilia has a loose tooth with her permanent growing in right behind it!

Smushed cupcake

2007-05-03T08:24:00.001-07:00

Smushed cupcake, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

this is what a cupcake looks like when it falls on its side and gets smushed to the plastic

Summer weather

2007-05-03T06:59:00.001-07:00

Summer weather, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Neighborhood gang!

Amilia on the slip and slide

2007-05-03T06:58:00.003-07:00

Amilia on the slip and slide, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Long legs

Amilia having fun!

2007-05-03T06:58:00.001-07:00

Amilia having fun!, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Having a blast!

Amilia

2007-05-03T06:57:00.001-07:00

Amilia, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Amilia in her googles...

Nathan

2007-05-03T06:47:00.001-07:00

Nathan, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

The kids had to wear goggles...

All wet

2007-05-03T06:46:00.001-07:00

All wet, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

We have had summer weather...the kids got out the sprinkler and the slip and slide and cooooled off.

Moving

2007-05-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

We are moving.
Don't know exactly when or where, but we are moving. Today I started to think about all the packing I needed to do. Did not quite get beyond the thinking part, but today I did get Nathan's hair cut, both computers up and running again, I have an appointment on Saturday evening with a potential baby sitter for when we move to Greensbore, I put an ad on "CraigsList" for a child care provided, I drove home from Greensboro after looking at a house yesterday (that we really, really want!) with two unmedicated ADHD kids along for the three hour drive home, I only yelled at them about half dozen times and now, we are going to get settled and into bed by 7:30pm!!
So, we looked at a house yesterday and the owner wants to rent to a family that will stay for awhile. I offered to sign a two year lease if we could have May for free. She is diligently checking my references (called my work today and called Aunt Judy around 8am this morning!). She will let us know by tomorrow evening if we will be able to rent from her...
We want this house. It is big enough for all of our stuff... It has a huge front yard with an empty field on the right and a horse farm on the left. The back yard is small, right up to the pond that is at least three acres in size. Lots of frogs and very yucky, muddy, dirty water...kids will love it. Reminds me of Saturday farm, only much bigger. The kitchen is completely updated with plenty of counter space and a dish washer!!! Hardwood floors through the halls and living room, working fireplace in the living room and it is on a dead end road.
My new job is going great, the commute rather sucks, but, if we are going to get this house, we will start moving stuff in next week and I will have a place to stay on the weekends for another three weekends, then we will at be there!
Yeah, change is good!

Kids home

2007-04-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was exhausted from the weekend and I let the kids play outside unsupervised...they are now grounded for the entire week home from school. They went to the neighbors house, found a pile of Easter Eggs and destroyed them all, throwing them against trees, hitting them with a baseball bat and smashing them on the road...needless to say, I am very pissed at them and they are grounded.
Today, they are cleaning the house. I am not sure what I am going to have them do tomorrow, but they will not be having fun...
Arrg...my first week home and I am having to work twice as hard having them clean...but they are learning...they know that what they did was very bad and will not do it again. It is frustrating, they do things without even thinking...can't imagine having more than the two I got...
So, no unsupervised outside time, lots of housework, no computer, no TV, no x-box, no bikes, no skateboard...
The up side is they have been playing well together and have not been fight with each other. I guess it is them against me...
Well, I gotta go and help Amilia clean the litter box...

New Job

2007-04-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well, finished my first weekend working in the Emergency Room...LOVE IT...

I felt like I knew what I was doing, just walked in and started working. The great thing about working at a small hospital is there are NO Residents...the physician or the PA that is working does it all, things get completed in a timely manner and patients get discharged, rather than having the resident see the patient, then having the resident have to wait for the attending to discuss the patient then having the orders written and waiting for the results, then having the attending see the patient, then having the attending review the results...

I don't know if all teaching hospitals are like this, but PCMH was and it was frustrating...for the nurses as well as the patients.

I know that the residents need to learn but I love not having to wait to do things. We have protocol's set in place...a person comes in with abdominal pain and I can start an IV, draw labs, send urine, get things started before the patient is seen...

Another great thing about working in a small hospital is that you get to know everyone quickly.

Also, all of the supplies are in a central area, you don't have to run all over the place finding stuff.

This most challenging thing for me at this point is to learn the computer system. In this hospital, the charting is system focused (neuro, GI, muscular/skeletal) and charting by exception, meaning, everything normal unless otherwise charted...different then I am used to. I am used to hitting every system, even if to say it is normal.

I was surprised at how easy it was to start back taking care of patients after not doing it outside of the OR for almost a year. I have a lot of reading and brushing up to do, but having the time during the week to do it is nice. When the kids come home from school and need to do their homework, I am going to read as well.

Amilia awards class

2007-04-05T07:30:00.001-07:00

Amilia awards class, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Amilia awardswith friends

2007-04-05T07:29:00.003-07:00

Amilia awardswith friends, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Nathan awards

2007-04-05T07:29:00.001-07:00

Nathan awards, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Nathan awards class

2007-04-05T07:28:00.001-07:00

Nathan awards class, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Jim's new (old) truck

2007-04-04T15:01:00.001-07:00

Jim's new (old) truck, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Greenware

2007-04-04T14:59:00.003-07:00

Greenware, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Different angle of todays pots

2007-04-04T14:59:00.001-07:00

Different angle of todays pots, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Flag at kids school

2007-04-04T14:58:00.003-07:00

Flag at kids school, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Flag at kids school

2007-04-04T14:58:00.001-07:00

Flag at kids school, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Jim driving his new (old) truck

2007-04-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

Jim driving his new (old) truck, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Jim in the truck we picked up yesterday. He drove from Charlotte NC to New Jersey last night, slept a good part of today then headed for Lancaster PA...maybe that is his final destination...It is a short run tomorrow, then he goes to Jonesport PA and gets the interior of the truck cleaned, gets the broken window on the passenger side repaired and gets all of his permits up to date. The truck has no permits for driving in NY, carrying alcohol, and a bunch of others that he needs. Then he will start driving up and down the east coast from Maine to Virginia with occasional stops at home in North Carolina...

My corner of the studio

2007-04-04T14:50:00.001-07:00

My corner of the studio, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

This is the wheel that I use. It is tucked into the corner of the studio. I have on the table the balls of clay ready to center and make into pottery.

Waxing the bottoms

2007-04-04T14:48:00.003-07:00

Waxing the bottoms, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Waxing the bottoms

2007-04-04T14:48:00.001-07:00

Waxing the bottoms, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

You wax the bottom of the pottery so that the glaze does not melt to the kiln shelves

Waxed bottoms

2007-04-04T14:47:00.001-07:00

Waxed bottoms, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

LONG Drive

2007-04-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Well, got back from driving Jim to Charlotte...was 4 hours each way and when we got to the truck, we discovered it was vile...the last person that drove it smoked and there was ash and smell throughout the truck.
Good thing is, we had cleaning supplies...still smells, but no longer filthy and sticky...spent an hour or so cleaning before returning home.
Other good thing is that when he got to the truck, there was already a scheduled run for him so he took a nap and took off for New Jersey about an hour ago. He sounds in good spirits, I know he is glad to have the truck to himself. He can set the pace and not have to deal with Mark anymore.
I'm exhausted, I never want to be a truck driver. It is too long and tiring. Give me a busy emergency room any day of the week!

Jim's Job

2007-04-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Well, after a very long and aggravating day, Jim will be getting a new (used) truck and be off on his own. Mark, his former co-driver kicked him off the truck...Mark lied to both Jim and the driver manager, telling Jim that Steve, the driver manager, called Mark's number looking for Jim and because Jim was not with him (Mark wanted to go to Florida with his kids in the truck so let Jim off at home on Friday), Mark almost got fired...
Jim FINALLY talked with Steve and Steve told Jim that Mark called him (Steve) this past Friday and told him that Jim quit. AND, Steve never called Mark AND, he (Steve) did not care if Jim was on the truck or not, as long as the route was completed as it was supposed to...
So, Jim will be on his own, no aggravating, annoying co-driver with him...
BUT...tomorrow, I have to drive him to Charlotte for him to pick up his new (used) truck...Bummer!

New Blog

2007-04-02T07:44:00.002-07:00

This is my new family blog...It has been so long since the old one. Many changes in our lives.
I started a new job in Greensboro, NC last Monday. Jim stayed home for the week with the kids and I went to orientation. First three days were torture...rules and regs, policy's and procedures, chain of command, HIPPA, Infection Control, Delegation...etc, etc, etc...long and boring...But! Thursday and Friday I was in the ED! YEAH!!! Finally back home.
I have been working in the OR for the past year and at first, thought it was cool...learned tons about the human body and what we do to it during surgery, but after a while, just became a glorified gofer...there was a song in High School I sang for a school play.
--Get me, buy me, bring me, find me, pick up, drop off and remind me
--Don't forget now what I ask,
--After all that is your task,
--Don't forget now what I ask!

Done with it!

On Thursday, I took care of patients...I started IV's, gave medications, provided emotional support, assisted with a dislocated arm, got felt up by a drunk...I'm so glad to be home!!!

I was made to be an ED nurse. I think that my varied background helps me excel in this. I love spending time talking with patients when I have time, but I also love the instant gratification of starting an IV, seeing the blood flashback, knowing it is in the right place and then being able to push IV pain medications to immediately provide pain relief. There is nothing like it.

We will be moving to Greensboro NC in June after the kids finish school. We are looking for a house to rent. Greensboro is much different than Greenville. There is a lot more to do and when you leave the city, it is rolling hills country with parks and lakes nearby. The city is not that big, drive through the center in less than 10 minutes with some traffic. We are carefully looking at the many different elementary schools and are seriously considering homeschooling next year. I will be working weekend nights only so will be able to school the kids during the week. And the way the cities in North Carolina work is that there are many, many activities that are run by the city so that the kids will be able to participate and make friends in sports or in pottery classes or what every we decide to have the kids do. They will not be lacking in social exposure. Right now, they are in gymnastics and pottery and they love it.

Jim has been driving a big truck with this guy named Mark who disappeared last week. Jim tried to get a hold of him for several days and he never returned calls. This morning, he went to his house to get on the truck with Mark and Mark kicked him off the truck...although at this point, we are not really sure if Mark can do this. So Jim is coming home, will get his own truck and maybe have someone else to drive with...

Jim has been wanting to get off the truck with Mark, but did not want to be a jerk about it and not give him notice. Jim decided last week he was going to give Mark a 2 week notice...well, this will be less stressful for Jim once he gets over being so angry at Mark. So, this is a good thing...Jim just needs to move on. Which he will.

Amilia sprained her ankle on Friday in PE. She was jumping over balls and actually landed on one, twisted her ankle and did not tell anyone. So when I get home from Greensboro at 5pm, she tells me she hurt her ankle (she had been home with Jim since 2:30p). Her ankle was swollen and tender...what a pain it was trying to keep her off of it over the weekend! At one point, we did let her go outside with us and play but by the time she came in, there was more swelling and bruising. She spent much of yesterday fussing and pushing and whining because we made her stay on her bed or on the couch. Today the swelling is down and she says it does not hurt. I sent her with a note that she is not to run around on it. We will see what happens when she gets home...

With some many changes going on right now, it is hard not to think about the past and things we should have/could have done differently. I often think about the house fire and how awful and stressful that was. I wonder how life would have been different if the fire had not happened...
I think about the move to Massachusetts...should we have stayed in Virginia? Where would we be right now if we had not started our own Invisible Fence...
We are struggling with our credit and will be for several more years because of the Bankruptcy and loosing the business...

But...the move to Greensboro is a good one. We will be close to Heidi (my cousin, Aunt Judy's daughter), I will be making a substantial amount more of money than I do now. Jim will be in a better location for truck driving...route 85 and route 40 go through Greensboro...
The area is beautiful, the people I will be working with have already reached out and are very friendly and welcoming...

The hospital is a small community hospital and I have already made my mark...when I was working on Thursday, a man came in with a dislocated shoulder. The nursing tech brought him back and no other nurse jumped up to help him but me...I immediately started an IV, grabbed a doctor and got pain medications for him. The nurse educator watched me do this from a far and approached me after and said I did a great job...I am finally home!!! I love this type of work!

Johanna's Daisy Girl

2007-04-02T07:44:00.001-07:00

Johanna's Daisy Girl, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

This is Johanna's Daisy Girl, she is a wonderful family dog and very smart. She watches the house and the kids and is there for a snuggle when needed. Some day I will do more with her and do agility training and show her in agility. She is quick and a fast learner...I just have not had the time yet.

Flag beautiful March day

2007-04-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

flag beautiful march day, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Amilia hip girl

2007-04-02T07:34:00.003-07:00

amilia hip girl, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Our House

2007-04-02T07:34:00.001-07:00

november2006 005, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Pottery

2007-04-02T07:33:00.003-07:00

100_0378, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Pottery

2007-04-02T07:33:00.001-07:00

100_0379, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Pottery

2007-04-02T07:32:00.003-07:00

100_0377, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

My beautiful pottery that got mail to family and friends and arrived in pieces...Next stuff sent will be packed better.

Drama queen

2007-04-02T07:31:00.001-07:00

drama queen 2, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Drama queen

2007-04-02T07:30:00.005-07:00

drama queen, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

My hair!

2007-04-02T07:30:00.003-07:00

my hair!, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Way too much fun

2007-04-02T07:30:00.001-07:00

way too much fun, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Nathan with his buddy Daisy

2007-04-02T07:29:00.001-07:00

nathan with his buddy daisy, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Daisy is my dog. She is an Australian Shepard that Jim drove 8 hours to pick up for me. She has been a wonderful companion to the kids and watches the house. She is very smart and knows her commands (most of the time).

Box child

2007-04-02T07:26:00.001-07:00

nathan in a box2, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

Nathan put the box on his head while I was packing up pottery.

Box child

2007-04-02T07:25:00.001-07:00

amilia in a box 2, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

I was packing up pottery and Amilia came into the livingroom, pick up a box and put it on her head...Nathan had just done the same thing. Amilia did not see him do it.

early march

2007-04-02T07:19:00.001-07:00

early march 2, originally uploaded by johannaschimmel.

My favorite thing about North Carolina is the early spring!