Thurs Apr 26

Aaaah, the return to the relatively calm, stress-free routine of everyday life. Although it feels like a routine, it's certainly not calm this week.

Had scouts on Monday, where we planned an outing for Saturday with Matt's den to visit the fire station. I won't be able to go (well, maybe I will) cause of conflict in schedule. Tuesday night was the first band board meeting I have gone to since Mar 1. Lots of stuff going on there that I had mentally checked out from this last month. Last nite, Wed, Esther invited me to the Angel's game. We went and talked the whole time and walked out at the top of the seventh cause it was getting late, the score being 3-1 Angels. We get to the car and hear a huge roar - the score was 9-1 Angels by the time we got home...aaargh.... we missed the best part.

Today Jacob and Kevin sang with their school classes at Knott's. RJ is still at home and had another lab appt. and cardiologist appt. this afternoon, conflicting with Knotts, so I had to write my questions down. The p/t pharmicist in me wants to know what's going on now. The cardiologist asked where I was - I guess he missed me. He's good at bantering with the patients, so that is a real plus in all this. He has a note to be out of work until at least June 20, they want to have his sternum completely healed before heading back.

Tomorrow night is the BBQ and concert with the band. I have not been able to see any of the concert performances this year since they have all been in the month of March/April. Jacob gets to go on his very first Weblos campout for the weekend... and needs to be dropped off in Brea the same time as the BBQ. Saturday is the aforementioned fire station trip and Music in the Parks festival that the band is hosting at the school - again, at the same time. Sunday is our first cow chip bingo, and Lisa and I are swimming in notes about voided, reissued, and extra tickets being handed out. Need to straighten them all out by Saturday so we know which plots are sold vs. unsold. . . It would be awesome to actually win some of this money we are dealing with! And we round out Sunday night with a softball game, where we will see how well my 4 times at Curves this month (I haven't had any time!!) has kept me in shape. I know, round is a shape, but not particularly a good one to be in.

I think Monday we might just skip scouts, turn off the phones, and sleep - 12 days in a row with something going on each day is tough! I won't tell if you don't. . .

Can't you see the boys? They are wearing a white shirt with a yellow kerchief - see 'em? They're RIGHT THERE!!

Extreme Decorating: Headdress Edition

Spent the last 48 hours with Tracy, Cindy, and Andrea decorating Tracy's debut piece for the Las Floristas Headdress Ball. She went out and not only placed, but took the Sweepstakes Award on her very first try!

No matter how much I was told what to expect, it isn't the same as actually being there and doing it. It is a float detailers dream - or nightmare, depending on if you are working with cocos and spider leaves. There isn't time to stand around very long debating on the merits of this pattern or that flower, you go- go- go- until the judging deadline. Put it on, "that looks good", what next? You don't have time to sit down and hit that wall of exhaustion that will stop you for the night.

Since I was the newbie, I got to spray and glitter every flower that went on the piece. I feel like I have a lining of clear spray paint and glitter on the inside of my nose now. This was OK, cause then I couldn't smell myself (or Cindy) at 3:30am when we went to bed. I also had a lovely purple, pink, and red glitter manicure thing going for awhile. All great fun if you are into this kind of stuff - I don't mind being the worker-bee at all - just don't ask me to ever create one of these from scratch. Here's some photos:

Tracy applying a spider mum

L-R: Cindy, Andrea, Nina, Tracy, and Lori
The back of the headdress:

Tracy and Gary:

Lori, Lisa, Tracy, Cindy:

Tuesday 4/17

Ronnie came out this last weekend, we hung out around the house and watched videos, ate enchiladas and ice cream, saw the stupidest Will Ferrell movie EVER, and got into it with a plumber who wanted $800 for a new pipe. Thank God my softball game on Sunday nite was a forfeit, cause I was under the weather and didn't want to be out in it. (You know you're over 40 when ... you are GLAD that you don't have a game!)

One doctor down - two to go. We went to the surgeon's office today and got a clean bill of health and a release from his care. Also got the all-important, never taken for granted, much-needed, "OK to drive a car"! Now RJ can drive himself to a couple of doctor appointments and/or lab tests and even pick up the kids from school if needed.

Still have two doctors on the docket, as well as some more weekly blood tests, but we need to get past the initial 6-8 week mark before those will die down.

Got a phone call reminder this afternoon from the pediatrician, Kevin has a physical tomorrow for Boy Scouts - I completely forgot to put this one on the calendar, glad they called. Maybe I don't have to drive him ..... hmmmmm ...

Oooooo - Friday the 13th - Oooooo

Well, we had two doctor appointments this week, and have not been readmitted to the hospital. Woo hoo!! Actually, I went to three appointments - an oncologist, a GP, and a cardiologist. Had to cancel the pediatric dentist appointment because of lack of time. Have not even scheduled my own doctor appointments, or the followup dental appts for the kids. Oh well. But since the rest of April includes at least two more doctor appointments, a followup surgery for mom, three blood tests, a Headdress Ball, a BBQ, a Weblos campout, and four different band activities, I'm thinking there's always May! But that month's calendar is looking rather filled as well.

Earlier today I finally made it to the day spa - got the knot rubbed out of my shoulder and neck that had been plaguing me since the middle of March - aaaaahhhhh, worth every penny. Tonite we went to see "Disturbia" at the movie theater... billed as a suspense movie along the lines of Rear Window. Esther and Cliff met us there (their pick) and we jumped a few times throughout. The whole theater was packed with high school kids, I think there were only a dozen folks there that were old enough to be parents.

Tomorrow Ronnie is flying in to come visit for the weekend. I don't know who is more excited, the big boy or the four little boys. The plan is to hang out and see if we can gross him out with looking at the zipper.

Tuesday 4/10

Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to work I go.. actually, leaving one work for the other "work", which in some cases is easier than the work at home. But this is not news to any of the working moms out there!

Sam and Kevin are home on easter break this week, and staying home with dad. He is practicing his supervisory skills on them, directing them in the fine art of lawn-mowing, edging, trimming, sweeping, vacumming, making lunches, and picking up their room. I can handle the dishes that are only half clean, but I still won't let them near the washer and dryer. The other two boys are going to daycare for the week, as four boys at home is taxing for even the healthiest parent's sanity.

RJ was home for the a/c cleanup and inspection, and today got a second visit from the home nurse. She declared him healthy enough to not have to return, as his bp is back in normal ranges and heartbeat is steady. She even canceled the physical therapist that was scheduled to come out to the house to put him through his paces on the exercises they gave him, and said we could do it on our own. I guess she figured that I can now be a part-time PT on top of being a part-time pharmacist, and full-time appointment scheduler and medical paperwork inspector. You think I could sneak him into Curves with me?

Yesterday I went to mom's oncologist appt. for the diagnosis of stage three cancer and the year's worth of upcoming treatments for that. Went in to work a couple hours late, and spent the afternoon digging through stuff that accumulated on my desk the last 2 1/2 weeks. Today and tomorrow I am in a project management class - nothing there of great suprise to a working mom, everything just has a corporate name to it.

Later this week we have two doctor appointments, a kids dentist appointment, and a postponed massage (woo hoo!!) to look forward to.

PS - Happy Birthday to Brenda and Tracy ~

Same Song, Second Verse...

A little bit louder, but hopefully not worse.

Back home again from the hospital for the second Friday in a row. RJ's heart rythm is now stable from the medications, so they decided it was OK to let him leave again.

Another run to the drug store for two new drugs, and stopping three other ones from the plethora o' pills. Since I had already measured them out into the weekly pill boxes, I now get to go figure out which ones to pull out. Is it the little white one, or the little bit bigger white one; or the blue one, or the 1/2 blue one... hmmm... or maybe the orange one. And then I have to find the third drug that has been reduced, so that I can cut it in half for the duration. This of course, is after I decipher the doctor's scribble, or the nurse's filipino handwriting.

Fortunately, he is saying that he feels better. He's not sure if it's the fact that the staples got pulled out the other day, or the $1000 bottle (seriously..) of IV medication they had him on, but either way, it is easier to breathe.

I however, am holding my breath, since Sammy is now on his first official date. He took her to Disneyland for the afternoon/evening. Very nice girl, too. I better not write too much more, cause I know he reads this blog.

Picture with "Cherry Oakes Annie" - from Cherry Valley, CA (you know, where you can see the cherries on the trees)

Thanks to all who have called, written, and prayed these last two weeks. We have been blessed with a great group of friends and family members who have done whatever needed to be done. THANK YOU!

To Clear up any Confusion -

1. No, he didn't really like the food at the hospital so much he just had to go back - although he did like it, which says loads about my cooking ability. And no, they don't have takeout. Too bad, we would bring some to the wedding in July.

2. No, it wasn't a reverse vasectomy, it really was open heart surgery. Sorry Michael and Karen, we aren't back in the hospital trying for a girl.

3. No, we aren't trying to make our hospital bill bigger than Karen's. Some things are better left for the Jones' to keep.

4. No, we don't need a gold sticker or even $7 for parking.

5. No, Earl the 75-yr old security guard is not my boyfriend, even though he enjoys asking me my name and hands me a lovely, fashionable wristband each and every day.

6. Yes, I do know the way to the cafeteria now without getting lost. I keep saying that is the true measure of when a patient is ready to go home, but they don't listen to the family members.

But it's not a step backward..

RJ and I went to the surgeon's office at 11:30 this morning for his post-op check. Everything looked good, from taking that gross strip of tape off his chest, then taking out the staples (do you know how many utility poles there are by Angel Stadium? I do..), and clean up. He then took RJ's bp, and it was 104/68, and looked over his medications list. He kinda questioned the stuff he is on, and then listened to his heart. He said RJ has arterial fibrillation (or irregular heartbeat for the rest of us laymen), and mentioned that this increases his chance of clots and stroke. Say no more. He called the cardiologist, and they decided to admit him right away back into the hospital for a couple days to stabilize things via medication. If that doesn't work, they will shock his heart (ugh).

RJ feels totally fine, never felt anything racing or anything irregular in his heartbeat. He has been taking his meds; doing his breathing exercises; walking faithfully - today's trip was WalMart; and napping throughout the day.

I was told not to make a mountain out of a molehill, and this happens in about 30% of surgery patients - they can't predict who it will happen to. We are trying to look at the bright side, in that we went in today instead of the original Friday 4pm appointment time; and that we didn't have to call 911 when we would have noticed it, and go back via the ER.

He is back at Anaheim Memorial, in room 440, which coincidentally happens to be the same room he was in pre-op last week. For some reason, he has this deja vu thing going... wonder why...

Once in awhile, something happens that makes me think... man, I am getting OLD. Usually it's things like realizing that I'm never gonna lose this weight if I don't stop eating at In-N-Out; signing my life away 30 times over to the escrow company; buying a mini-van. Today it was looking at these pictures, thinking how grown up my kids are getting!

I see them every day, but don't notice how much they are changing cause I am too close to see it. But after looking at these pictures, you can't tell me that I am not going to have girl problems one day!

And that day is coming sooner than I think - Mortimer* has his first date set for Friday night.

* Name has been changed to protect the innocent

T.G.I.A.

Well, the month of April has finally arrived, the dreaded month of March is OVER!!

Friday saw mom go through her surgery in a shorter amount of time than ever before. Curtis, Sharyl, and Cindy were doing hospital duty at Kaiser, since I was getting RJ home and settled, at the same time that Michael was getting Karen home and settled. Three hospital stays in this month - can you even believe it - and all three home the exact same day. Hooray for our side!

We spent Saturday with one of us counting pills; the other one taking pills; one of us sleeping like a log like he was in his hospital bed all by himself still; the other one of us half asleep listening to the sound of breathing all night just like we had a newborn baby in bed next to us; one of us drinking water; one of us drinking wine; one of us with low blood pressure; the other one of us worrying to death about hypertension.

We spent Sunday with one of us shopping garden centers; the other one snoozing; one of us weeding and digging and running fingers through soil for therapy; the other one watching from a chair in the shade.

One kid had his mission project already done and turned in on Friday; one kid finished his alligator report Sunday morning; one kid had his English paper written and in the backpack by Sunday afternoon; and one kid turned the page at 8:30pm Sunday night and started the second half of his science project. One parent is in bed snoozing; one parent is printing the science project and missing Desperate Housewives. But that's OK, cause the gardening has wiped that parent out enough to put the bp down a few notches and conk them out for the night.

Welcome, April - oh, and happy birthday, dad.