Thursday, April 23, 2009

Happy Birthday Mom! Getting younger every day...


I am a few days late posting this.....but Happy Birthday Mom!!  Her birthday was on April 21st, and like the devoted mother, she spent the day cheering for Jayli's softball team while watching Addi.  She is amazing!  I have pushed the delete button on the same sentence at least 5 times because I want to find the right words to express what an incredible mother she is.  
My Mom does so much:
1.  Works as an EMT for Iron Co. Ambulance
2.  Tends Addi & luvs it!
3.  Cheers/stresses at all Jayli's sporting events (there's lots of 'em).
She also attended everything the rest of us kids participated in....this is just a current list.
4.  Helps with homework
5.  Is the Bishop's wife, which includes mucho time on the computer cuz Dad isn't computer friendly.
6.  Feeds us
7.  Takes G'ma & G'pa to doctor appointments, & spent lots of time at the hospital them lately
8.  Does the routine housework that takes tonz of time & energy, e.g. laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning, organizing, financial planning, balancing the checkbook, etc. 
9.  She fixes things.....stuff around the house you would ask your husband to do: plumbing, electric, you name it!
10.  She has just the right amount of push......what I mean is that all our lives, my mom has figured out what each kid's strengths, weaknesses, and potential, and then pushes us to be our best without making us feel like we aren't good enough.  It's kind of hard to explain....  Sure, she does worry, sometimes a lot, but that's cuz she luvs us....you just have to talk her off the edge sometimes.

I could go on and on, but she would probably like it if I stopped!  

Happy Birthday Mom!

Monday, April 13, 2009

AbLaTiOn


So this Easter Weekend I spent some quality time in Utah Valley Medical Center.  Hopefully all the "bad spells" my Grandma Blood has been experiencing have been resolved.  My Mom couldn't be there with Grandma Blood, so I spent time being her eyes and ears and translating the medical verbiage.  Uncle Brian took care of Grandpa, and I stuck around for the details & tried to ease some of my Mom's worries (though I don't think it helped much).  So late Friday night, Grandma endured 3 hours of aBlaTiOn in her atria, performed by Dr. Hwang.  For those of you who don't know what that is: they insert a catheter into her heart, and cauterize small points in her heart in order to create a scar & stop the crazy cells from firing out of order.  Poor Grandma had been through a lot, trying to capture some reason for her feeling so badly.  She had been in and out of the hospital several times during the past few months, and hopefully we have found a solution.  

This is the reason for the featured videos of G'ma & G'pa bustin' some sweet moves!  While viewing the short films, Grandma was giggling so much I thought she was going to fall off the hospital bed!  Fortunately that did not happen.  

After a short stay at the Blood Ranch Assisted Living Center (for reservations call Aunt Cathy), Grandma & Grandpa returned home to Angle, UT today.  Awaiting them were the eager arms of her great-grandkids who missed her so much!  
I think that's the best Easter gift ever: Home and Family......but chocolate and Cadbury eggs are a close second!

Friday, April 10, 2009

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Suction

I have one day of surgery left.  I wake up at 3-3:30 AM, drive 45 min, and sometimes stay until 6:30 pm in the OR.  You would think I would be sick and tired of it, but it's days like today that sucks me in to this atmosphere.  I learned today that once you mess with someone's anatomy, it creates a hot mess for those who have to fix it later.  I watched an unexpected arterial bleed turn a surgeon's world upside down, watched and listened to the intensity in the room as his plan was executed, and then the profound relief as we all confirmed its success.  He didn't make a mistake, he encountered an unexpected problem due to the pt's crazy anatomy.  I then observed the gratitude he expressed to the team who helped him.  After an intense 6 hrs with a life-threatening situation, there is a different connection between the people who walk away from it.  I think it shows true character of a person, how they react, treat other people, and recover from it.   It's all this that makes the OR a rewarding place to be.....that is, if you are in there with the right person!  I am going to miss it.....

By the way......ted hose are incredible! Especially while standing for hours and hours!