Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
What a beautiful day!
Its gorgeous outside today! Remind me of this in six months when I'm cursing this place, would you?
I woke up early, and drove out to The Risser Marvel Farmer's Market. I really liked how cute and quaint it seemed, but it was nothing like my fave, the Broad Street Market! I've written about it in the past because it is one of my favorite things about living up here. There are tons of Amish and Mennonite stands that offer super fresh and organic produce, meats, cheeses...you name it! Today I spent $19 and some change on some delicious produce...yummy!
And I also snagged some all natural ground turkey and ground hot turkey sausage...which tastes so much better than what you get from the grocery store. To top it off, I got some deli meat and cheese for lunches this week. Hopefully my lunches over the week can match today's lunch. One of the Amish stands sells whole chickens that would put Popeye's out of business! I got a half chicken breast for $2.75 and the girl drenched it in hot sauce...MmmMmmm! I took my lunch by the river and enjoyed the soaking up the sunshine!!
Oh yeah, I also got some cage-free, hormone-free eggs! I never thought I'd be that girlwho cared about that stuff...but 1.) it's way more delicious, and 2.) I am becoming more and more paranoid about that stuff with each article I read or crazy food documentary I watch. Have you seen Food Inc.? Eck.
Hoping to get some stuff around the house accomplished today....and then maybe even some work stuff later on. :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I woke up early, and drove out to The Risser Marvel Farmer's Market. I really liked how cute and quaint it seemed, but it was nothing like my fave, the Broad Street Market! I've written about it in the past because it is one of my favorite things about living up here. There are tons of Amish and Mennonite stands that offer super fresh and organic produce, meats, cheeses...you name it! Today I spent $19 and some change on some delicious produce...yummy!
And I also snagged some all natural ground turkey and ground hot turkey sausage...which tastes so much better than what you get from the grocery store. To top it off, I got some deli meat and cheese for lunches this week. Hopefully my lunches over the week can match today's lunch. One of the Amish stands sells whole chickens that would put Popeye's out of business! I got a half chicken breast for $2.75 and the girl drenched it in hot sauce...MmmMmmm! I took my lunch by the river and enjoyed the soaking up the sunshine!!
Oh yeah, I also got some cage-free, hormone-free eggs! I never thought I'd be that girlwho cared about that stuff...but 1.) it's way more delicious, and 2.) I am becoming more and more paranoid about that stuff with each article I read or crazy food documentary I watch. Have you seen Food Inc.? Eck.
Hoping to get some stuff around the house accomplished today....and then maybe even some work stuff later on. :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Facebook Hiatus
I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I've finally decided to take a hiatus from Facebook. I realized that the time I spend on the site just simply... isn't productive. In fact, it's counterproductive. :-( Boo.So, I'm not sure if it'll be a few days, a week, a couple of weeks, maybe even a month-long hiatus...but it's necessary. And, let's face it...if it's too hard to do...all the more reason it should be done, right? Ugh.
Hopefully this will give me an opportunity to reflect more on my own life, rather than follow the lives of others. Or actually call and visit with friends more, instead of rely on my newsfeed to keep me posted on all of their excitement. Plus, I really like getting emails...and LOVE getting snail mail! Maybe this will jumpstart things a bit?
Oh well...let's see how well this works: fingers crossed.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Smokin' Summer Kickoff @ The Finger Lakes!
Jared is an awesome boyfriend...really. One of the things I appreciate most about him is that he is a wonderful planner... he cares about making our time together special, and he loves to share new experiences. Thanks to Jared, I've been on impressively planned trips to places like Baltimore, Vegas, Atlantic City, Costa Rica,
South Florida...and the list goes on. It's important to him to create special memories together and to show me his love in these ways. I've learned that this is one of his love languages. (http://www.5lovelanguages.com/). I am truly so Blessed.
We spent the weekend in the Finger Lakes, part of upstate NY area. As I mentioned in the last post, he found a great little B&B for us, perfectly situated in the heart of wine country. With very little advanced notice of our weekend together, Jared still managed to impress!
We had tickets to an event where 30+ wineries participated in wine and food pairings! Each winery had its own unique character. Some were very classy, while others were a little on the...um...unconventional side. Everything from the size of the wineries, knowledge of the staff, and sophistication of the tastings were different at each stop on our tour!
We visited 11 wineries and tasted between 2-5 different wines at each one. Some were so delicious they tasted like Kool-Aid, while others were more "oak-y". By the end of the afternoon, I was able to pick up on various subtleties in flavor...or at least I managed to fake it well enough to convince myself of it! Lol.
My computer is still with the techy folks so I can't upload pictures just yet, but I'l be sure to add some as soon as I can!
For the record, the B&B turned out to be quite delightful (said while pretending to drink my classy, dry red wine (with oak undertones)... Remembering to isolate my pinky finger from the stem of the glass so that it sticks out in mid-air)! ;-)
It was actually nice to sit down for breakfast and chat with our hosts and the other guest. Funny what impression we choose to make upon complete strangers....be it successful or not! And I continue to find myself smitten with Jared, especially in situations like these where his genuine compassion for others really shines.
Wonderful weekend...and praying for an equally enjoyable week ahead!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, June 10, 2011
Bed & Breakfast
Happy Friday! Today was the second "summer hours" day of the year, and oh what a day it's been! As background, my company offers flexible work schedules in the summer time, allowing employees to work an extra hour every day (M-Th) in order to end the workday at noon on Friday! Absolutely a beautiful thing after barely surviving the horrible winter weather!
I worked enough extra hours this week to take summer hours for the rest of the year, but unfortunately that's not how it works. Needless to say, i shut my computer down promptly at noon today. And it felt great. Even better, I turned my computer into the IS folks who will be upgrading me to a new one! This one's been on its last leg since it was new two years ago, so today was an exciting day. More importantly, that means NO WORK all weekend! Holler @ your girl. Lol. But really.
Two weekends ago, after Jared and I spent the weekend in Hershey/Philly, I sent him a meeting request through Outlook for a fun filled weekend in wine country (the beauty of working for the same place...I can schedule our dates online! Lol). Somewhere in NY, near Ithaca, is the halfway point between Hershey and Toronto. This time last year, we actually spent a weekend together in Cayuga Lakes...very near here. This weekend, we (Jared is the master planner...he doesn't trust me to choose hotels for fear that I'll put us up in a Super 8 motel or something) chose Seneca Lakes area...or whatever it's called.
Jared sent me the reservation online...thank God for my iPad and the TripIt app...it automatically downloads all trip itineraries to one app directly from my email. Sweet. Anyway...he chose a bed and breakfast for us. I have to admit, this is my first stay in one...so when he told me about it, I w pretty nervous. I believe my response was, "like...in someone's house?" LOL
Back to this afternoon....I was officially on the road at about 1pm after filing up my tank dropping off my computer. (one more time for NO WORK this weekend!) google maps said the ride would be about four and a half hours...one hour longer than Jared's drive. But when you add in his border crossing...we can call it even.
The ride wasn't bad at all. I typically hate road trips because the blaza tends to um...shake a little when you pass 65 mph. And, well, that's not exactly promising. But now that I'm driving my brand new 2011 Subaru Outback...the ride was delightful. And air conditioned. ::sigh::
My gps said I had arrived at my location right on time. Score! Too bad my destination was a mile marker on the New York Thruway. Not good. Somewhere along the way, I must've taken a wrong turn....onto a toll road, no less. Naturally I was carrying very little cash on me. And what little cash I had left my house with this afternoon, I used to buy $0.99 chicken sandwich fro Wendy's and a bottled water. I knew I should've used my debit card!
About 10 miles later, the first exit comes up and I have to take it. I have only two dollars on me and a little bit of change at this point. Too bad I wasn't in the blazer....there's "emergency money" hidden all throughout that thing. Tons of change all over the place too....mostly by accident and less by design. Luckily the toll was only $0.35. Whew!
Fortunately I found my work iPhone earlier this week and brought it with me on the trip. (it's been hiding in the back pocket of my backpack since my Megabus trip...see earlier post). iPhone came through big time...i googled the right address for the B&B and used the Maps app to find my way. Jared had already put his stuff down inside and was waiting for me, like the wonderful boyfriend that he is, outside in the driveway. :-)
The place is nice and the couple who owns the place is nice. They do have a large dog, which threw me off a bit. I'm so glad I remembered to bring my allergy medicine...or else I'd be a wreck by now!
It's about 11:30pm now and Jared's asleep. I'm wide awake; partly because I've never been good at sleepovers, especially not at a stranger's place (kinda how it feels at a B&B)...and also because the family is celebrating Senior Weekend. I guess they have a kid that's graduating tomorrow. Cue the party. Seriously. From the sounds of it, I'm guessing there are at least 20 people out there, all of whom are wide awake....and wearing very heavy shoes, from my estimations. Lol.
We have a busy day ahead of us. First, breakfast with 'the fam' at 8, and then off to a wine tour and food pairing through about twenty vineyards. I'm looking forward to it.
This is a picture from our 2010 trip to the Finger Lakes
I'll do my best to write some more tomorrow or Sunday and let you know what the rest of our stay was like. Hopefully I'll even have a few pictures from the weekend's festivities!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I worked enough extra hours this week to take summer hours for the rest of the year, but unfortunately that's not how it works. Needless to say, i shut my computer down promptly at noon today. And it felt great. Even better, I turned my computer into the IS folks who will be upgrading me to a new one! This one's been on its last leg since it was new two years ago, so today was an exciting day. More importantly, that means NO WORK all weekend! Holler @ your girl. Lol. But really.
Two weekends ago, after Jared and I spent the weekend in Hershey/Philly, I sent him a meeting request through Outlook for a fun filled weekend in wine country (the beauty of working for the same place...I can schedule our dates online! Lol). Somewhere in NY, near Ithaca, is the halfway point between Hershey and Toronto. This time last year, we actually spent a weekend together in Cayuga Lakes...very near here. This weekend, we (Jared is the master planner...he doesn't trust me to choose hotels for fear that I'll put us up in a Super 8 motel or something) chose Seneca Lakes area...or whatever it's called.
Jared sent me the reservation online...thank God for my iPad and the TripIt app...it automatically downloads all trip itineraries to one app directly from my email. Sweet. Anyway...he chose a bed and breakfast for us. I have to admit, this is my first stay in one...so when he told me about it, I w pretty nervous. I believe my response was, "like...in someone's house?" LOL
Back to this afternoon....I was officially on the road at about 1pm after filing up my tank dropping off my computer. (one more time for NO WORK this weekend!) google maps said the ride would be about four and a half hours...one hour longer than Jared's drive. But when you add in his border crossing...we can call it even.
The ride wasn't bad at all. I typically hate road trips because the blaza tends to um...shake a little when you pass 65 mph. And, well, that's not exactly promising. But now that I'm driving my brand new 2011 Subaru Outback...the ride was delightful. And air conditioned. ::sigh::
My gps said I had arrived at my location right on time. Score! Too bad my destination was a mile marker on the New York Thruway. Not good. Somewhere along the way, I must've taken a wrong turn....onto a toll road, no less. Naturally I was carrying very little cash on me. And what little cash I had left my house with this afternoon, I used to buy $0.99 chicken sandwich fro Wendy's and a bottled water. I knew I should've used my debit card!
About 10 miles later, the first exit comes up and I have to take it. I have only two dollars on me and a little bit of change at this point. Too bad I wasn't in the blazer....there's "emergency money" hidden all throughout that thing. Tons of change all over the place too....mostly by accident and less by design. Luckily the toll was only $0.35. Whew!
Fortunately I found my work iPhone earlier this week and brought it with me on the trip. (it's been hiding in the back pocket of my backpack since my Megabus trip...see earlier post). iPhone came through big time...i googled the right address for the B&B and used the Maps app to find my way. Jared had already put his stuff down inside and was waiting for me, like the wonderful boyfriend that he is, outside in the driveway. :-)
The place is nice and the couple who owns the place is nice. They do have a large dog, which threw me off a bit. I'm so glad I remembered to bring my allergy medicine...or else I'd be a wreck by now!
It's about 11:30pm now and Jared's asleep. I'm wide awake; partly because I've never been good at sleepovers, especially not at a stranger's place (kinda how it feels at a B&B)...and also because the family is celebrating Senior Weekend. I guess they have a kid that's graduating tomorrow. Cue the party. Seriously. From the sounds of it, I'm guessing there are at least 20 people out there, all of whom are wide awake....and wearing very heavy shoes, from my estimations. Lol.
We have a busy day ahead of us. First, breakfast with 'the fam' at 8, and then off to a wine tour and food pairing through about twenty vineyards. I'm looking forward to it.
This is a picture from our 2010 trip to the Finger Lakes
I'll do my best to write some more tomorrow or Sunday and let you know what the rest of our stay was like. Hopefully I'll even have a few pictures from the weekend's festivities!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Inspired by a challenge online
I stumbled upon a word press blog that challenged readers to create blog entries everyday in 2011, or at least once a week. to help, they provide daily topics to get ya started...here's today's:
Topic #153:
What’s the smartest thing you’ve heard this week? (Lets try to take a positive twist after yesterday’s negative topic).
This is tough because to be honest, I've spent the better majority of my week by myself, without a ton of human interaction. Now that I work from my home office, I miss out on a lot of the usual water cooler talk that used to keep me going. ::sigh:: but don't misinterpret what I'm saying...I do enjoy working from home. I find myself to be far more productive, much more motivated, and way less distracted. But I digress.
Back to the question, what's the smartest thing I've heard all week? That's a tough one. But I think it was when someone told me, "do what you can."
I've spent the last several weeks getting back into the swing of things at work. If you'd like to know what your job security looks like....go on a ten-week leave, and then measure the importance of your role by the number of emails, requests, and to-dos that pile up in your absence!
Needless to say, its been a busy month since I returned to work and I've taken it pretty personally. I've gotten very little sleep, am easily irritated, and doing my best to juggle the competing priorities.
"Do what you can."
Yes, that's the smartest thing I've heard this week. I need to remember that I can only do so much. And when it seems like too much, I need to rely on my Faith and rest assured that if I can't handle it, God will. :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Topic #153:
What’s the smartest thing you’ve heard this week? (Lets try to take a positive twist after yesterday’s negative topic).
This is tough because to be honest, I've spent the better majority of my week by myself, without a ton of human interaction. Now that I work from my home office, I miss out on a lot of the usual water cooler talk that used to keep me going. ::sigh:: but don't misinterpret what I'm saying...I do enjoy working from home. I find myself to be far more productive, much more motivated, and way less distracted. But I digress.
Back to the question, what's the smartest thing I've heard all week? That's a tough one. But I think it was when someone told me, "do what you can."
I've spent the last several weeks getting back into the swing of things at work. If you'd like to know what your job security looks like....go on a ten-week leave, and then measure the importance of your role by the number of emails, requests, and to-dos that pile up in your absence!
Needless to say, its been a busy month since I returned to work and I've taken it pretty personally. I've gotten very little sleep, am easily irritated, and doing my best to juggle the competing priorities.
"Do what you can."
Yes, that's the smartest thing I've heard this week. I need to remember that I can only do so much. And when it seems like too much, I need to rely on my Faith and rest assured that if I can't handle it, God will. :-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Hug your mom.
Tomorrow isn't promised. Not even at all.
Many of you know that my mom's health has been less than perfect for a few years. A product of orphanages, the foster care system, and the streets, my mother has come a long way in her life...and has dealt with more challenges than a marathon of Lifetime movies could address. But, that's another blog entry of its own.
On February 17, almost three weeks ago, I missed two phone calls and as many texts from my sister...informing me that my mother was being taken to the ER in an ambulance. She had fallen in the dining room...and we would soon learn that she had suffered a serious hip fracture which would mean she'd have to learn to walk again.
That was Thursday. Four days went by before she was stable enough for the hip surgery. (My mom's heart has been weak since the massive heart attack she suffered in 2005. And she's been in kidney failure, on dialysis since 2007.) It's been a long road. And routine procedures like hip surgeries become increasingly complicated when the rest of her conditions are considered. (And I've only mentioned the abridged version of them, for the sake of brevity.)
She finally had the surgery on that Monday night that followed - and she did a great job! Zero complications. To be safe, the surgeon suggested her first 24 post-op hours should be spent in the Intensive Care Unit, where she'd be more closely monitored. Thank God for his foresight.
Less than an hour after her surgery, she flat-lined. Yes, flat-lined.
My mother went into both cardiac and respiratory arrest. Gina and I were standing at her bedside. I'm pretty positive the next minute or two played out in slow motion. We were asked to leave the room...and countless nurses and doctors raced in to save her life. "CODE BLUE: ROOM 2407" was repeated over and over again on the loud speaker, as lights flashed and sirens rang. We walked in the opposite direction of the staff who rushed into her room - we cried in a somber, yet hysterical way... Not sure if that's even possible - but it felt that way. My dad began crying when we turned the corner and mustered up the strength to say, "That's mom's room." We were followed by a nurse who handed us tissues, "They're going to do everything they can for her."
For 17 minutes, "CODE BLUE: ROOM 2407" repeated over the loud speaker. And for 17 minutes, we prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more.
My prayers were selfish at first, I admit. But, as the minutes passed, they became more and more selfless. We prayed for her health, her comfort, and her happiness. And we were devastated, but confident that God would protect her.
"Cancel Code Blue: Room 2407"
We would wait there, praying, crying, shaking, and comforting one another for almost fifteen more minutes before anyone would update us. In the meantime, the others in the waiting room prayed with us, offered their condolences, and cried for our family. Finally, one of the janitors rolled past us with her cart, and motioned an 'okay' sign with her hands. Did that mean my mom was okay?
Nearly thirty minutes after we were asked to leave my mom's room, a nurse came up to us and told us she had been stabilized. He (tried to) braced us for what we would see when we went into her room. She had been intubated; put on a ventilator so that she could breathe. And she layed there, unresponsive.
For four days, she remained that way. Intubated and unresponsive. I've never hurt so much for someone else before - and it hurt terribly, almost unbearably, to see the strongest woman in this world...in such a compromising position. And we had no idea if she was in pain, could hear us, or would come back to us. But, we refused to lose Faith.
I'm certain that as the days passed, the nurses and doctors looked at us with a mix of pity and sympathy, watching us as we sat by my mom's bedside 24/7, talking to her as if nothing had changed. Only two could visit her room at a time, and only one could stay over night....so we took shifts in her room, and made a second home of the family lounge. We bought microwaveable food from the corner CVS store and stocked the fridge with waters and leftovers so we'd not forget to eat throughout the day.
My dad, who has been divorced from my mom for 21 years, remains her best friend. He stayed by her side...by our side...everyday. He stayed awake at night, watching her like a hawk and taking notes of every vital sign, her every bodily twitch, and the times he was certain she squuezed his fingers or blinked upon request. During the day, he slept in his car...while Gina and I took over for our "day shift". We didn't leave her side.
For 16 days, we stayed by her side - which was so rewarding to see her smile at us, wink at us, and blow kisses. Not even a ventilator could stop by mom from sending kisses!
Flash forward to today, and my mom is at home. She was released last night - and originally, the recommendation was to send her to a "Rehab Center". Long story short, Gina and I made a surprise visit to this place that came so highly recommended....and we left in tears. (Also another blog entry). The place was so disgusting, poorly ran, and seemed so inhumane.....we couldn't bear to leave her there! We REFUSED.
We researched other options and my sister and I have opted to do home health care with her as she recovers from this crazy ordeal. The hip surgery, alone, warrants intense physical therapy sessions...but the other stuff is kind of a big deal, too. The details of all the home health care stuff are boring - so I'll spare you that. Just know that we love our mother too much to have left her in that hell hole...and we're Blessed with the ability to spend the time necessary to take care of her ourselves, using home health care accordingly.
I know that we're so Blessed. I'm certain that God has an incredible plan for my mother; one that will allow her to continue to inspire others with her story. I also know that we have been Blessed with some of life's most wonderful family and friends. We received so many calls, texts, fb messages....even visits by friends to keep us company as we waited in the hospital.
To those of you who sent your thoughts, prayers, and warm wishes...THANK YOU! There aren't enough words to describe how grateful we are for your concern and your support. We're certain that God answered these prayers...and we're forever thankful.
I've made mistakes in the past....I've had my priorities out of whack....put some things ahead of others...but want to be certain that I'm more appreciative now than ever before. I was reminded during this time that I have some really amazing friends in my life...many of whom, I didn't even realize were so caring. Others, came through as they always do. And still others, reminded me to be understanding that not everyone handles things the same way. I'm especially thankful for the support and selflessness of my sister, my dad, and my boyfriend...who were strong and selfless beyond belief. And, as you can imagine, my Faith in God continues to strengthen everyday.
Here's the jist of it all: Hug your mom.
If your mom isn't around, hug your dad. If your family life is similar to my mom's...and neither of those are options.......just make sure you hug the people you love. Let them know you love them. Show them you love them. Remind them of it. I was confident in those 17 minutes my mom coded...that no matter what happened, she knew we loved her.
She's doing better now. But, as I said before...it's been a long road...and will continue to be as we move forward. Thanks be to God, the good news is...we will move forward.
Many of you know that my mom's health has been less than perfect for a few years. A product of orphanages, the foster care system, and the streets, my mother has come a long way in her life...and has dealt with more challenges than a marathon of Lifetime movies could address. But, that's another blog entry of its own.
On February 17, almost three weeks ago, I missed two phone calls and as many texts from my sister...informing me that my mother was being taken to the ER in an ambulance. She had fallen in the dining room...and we would soon learn that she had suffered a serious hip fracture which would mean she'd have to learn to walk again.
That was Thursday. Four days went by before she was stable enough for the hip surgery. (My mom's heart has been weak since the massive heart attack she suffered in 2005. And she's been in kidney failure, on dialysis since 2007.) It's been a long road. And routine procedures like hip surgeries become increasingly complicated when the rest of her conditions are considered. (And I've only mentioned the abridged version of them, for the sake of brevity.)
She finally had the surgery on that Monday night that followed - and she did a great job! Zero complications. To be safe, the surgeon suggested her first 24 post-op hours should be spent in the Intensive Care Unit, where she'd be more closely monitored. Thank God for his foresight.
Less than an hour after her surgery, she flat-lined. Yes, flat-lined.
My mother went into both cardiac and respiratory arrest. Gina and I were standing at her bedside. I'm pretty positive the next minute or two played out in slow motion. We were asked to leave the room...and countless nurses and doctors raced in to save her life. "CODE BLUE: ROOM 2407" was repeated over and over again on the loud speaker, as lights flashed and sirens rang. We walked in the opposite direction of the staff who rushed into her room - we cried in a somber, yet hysterical way... Not sure if that's even possible - but it felt that way. My dad began crying when we turned the corner and mustered up the strength to say, "That's mom's room." We were followed by a nurse who handed us tissues, "They're going to do everything they can for her."
For 17 minutes, "CODE BLUE: ROOM 2407" repeated over the loud speaker. And for 17 minutes, we prayed. And prayed. And prayed some more.
My prayers were selfish at first, I admit. But, as the minutes passed, they became more and more selfless. We prayed for her health, her comfort, and her happiness. And we were devastated, but confident that God would protect her.
"Cancel Code Blue: Room 2407"
We would wait there, praying, crying, shaking, and comforting one another for almost fifteen more minutes before anyone would update us. In the meantime, the others in the waiting room prayed with us, offered their condolences, and cried for our family. Finally, one of the janitors rolled past us with her cart, and motioned an 'okay' sign with her hands. Did that mean my mom was okay?
Nearly thirty minutes after we were asked to leave my mom's room, a nurse came up to us and told us she had been stabilized. He (tried to) braced us for what we would see when we went into her room. She had been intubated; put on a ventilator so that she could breathe. And she layed there, unresponsive.
For four days, she remained that way. Intubated and unresponsive. I've never hurt so much for someone else before - and it hurt terribly, almost unbearably, to see the strongest woman in this world...in such a compromising position. And we had no idea if she was in pain, could hear us, or would come back to us. But, we refused to lose Faith.
I'm certain that as the days passed, the nurses and doctors looked at us with a mix of pity and sympathy, watching us as we sat by my mom's bedside 24/7, talking to her as if nothing had changed. Only two could visit her room at a time, and only one could stay over night....so we took shifts in her room, and made a second home of the family lounge. We bought microwaveable food from the corner CVS store and stocked the fridge with waters and leftovers so we'd not forget to eat throughout the day.
My dad, who has been divorced from my mom for 21 years, remains her best friend. He stayed by her side...by our side...everyday. He stayed awake at night, watching her like a hawk and taking notes of every vital sign, her every bodily twitch, and the times he was certain she squuezed his fingers or blinked upon request. During the day, he slept in his car...while Gina and I took over for our "day shift". We didn't leave her side.
For 16 days, we stayed by her side - which was so rewarding to see her smile at us, wink at us, and blow kisses. Not even a ventilator could stop by mom from sending kisses!
Flash forward to today, and my mom is at home. She was released last night - and originally, the recommendation was to send her to a "Rehab Center". Long story short, Gina and I made a surprise visit to this place that came so highly recommended....and we left in tears. (Also another blog entry). The place was so disgusting, poorly ran, and seemed so inhumane.....we couldn't bear to leave her there! We REFUSED.
We researched other options and my sister and I have opted to do home health care with her as she recovers from this crazy ordeal. The hip surgery, alone, warrants intense physical therapy sessions...but the other stuff is kind of a big deal, too. The details of all the home health care stuff are boring - so I'll spare you that. Just know that we love our mother too much to have left her in that hell hole...and we're Blessed with the ability to spend the time necessary to take care of her ourselves, using home health care accordingly.
I know that we're so Blessed. I'm certain that God has an incredible plan for my mother; one that will allow her to continue to inspire others with her story. I also know that we have been Blessed with some of life's most wonderful family and friends. We received so many calls, texts, fb messages....even visits by friends to keep us company as we waited in the hospital.
To those of you who sent your thoughts, prayers, and warm wishes...THANK YOU! There aren't enough words to describe how grateful we are for your concern and your support. We're certain that God answered these prayers...and we're forever thankful.
I've made mistakes in the past....I've had my priorities out of whack....put some things ahead of others...but want to be certain that I'm more appreciative now than ever before. I was reminded during this time that I have some really amazing friends in my life...many of whom, I didn't even realize were so caring. Others, came through as they always do. And still others, reminded me to be understanding that not everyone handles things the same way. I'm especially thankful for the support and selflessness of my sister, my dad, and my boyfriend...who were strong and selfless beyond belief. And, as you can imagine, my Faith in God continues to strengthen everyday.
Here's the jist of it all: Hug your mom.
If your mom isn't around, hug your dad. If your family life is similar to my mom's...and neither of those are options.......just make sure you hug the people you love. Let them know you love them. Show them you love them. Remind them of it. I was confident in those 17 minutes my mom coded...that no matter what happened, she knew we loved her.
She's doing better now. But, as I said before...it's been a long road...and will continue to be as we move forward. Thanks be to God, the good news is...we will move forward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)