It is that time of year again - only this year it is different for me. No release forms to sign, no back to school night to go to, no car-pools or worrying about kids getting to school on time. It is a strange place indeed!
Erika has moved back to Biola. She has one of the same roommates as last year and a new transfer from Cal Baptist. She is excited to be back and doing her own thing. She is looking forward to running season - infact the girls cross country team is ranked 5th in the preseason poll. Check it out on the Biola athletic web site. Erika is actually in that picture but you can barely see her behind another girl.
Then Michelle has started at Cal State Long Beach. She has been going all this week for orientation. Even had homework last night. I hope she likes going there. She said that her legs hurt last night from all of the walking she is doing. It is a nice campus and really not that hard to get around but certainly different than her high school. She is going to continue to live at home for now since it is only a 15 minute drive for our house to the campus.
And if you can believe it - I am actually going back to college. Erika thinks I should work at Biola so I could go there but for now I am taking an online class through Goldenwest College and hopefully an anatomy class at Santa Ana College. I am trying to just get a few more letters behind my name. Not really change jobs or anything. Just go after a little more. I have a few pre-reqs to get before I can get in to any type of BSN or MSN program. Well actually I could get in but I'd still have to do the pre-reqs along the way and doing both would do me in for sure!!
At times I wonder if I am crazy. Should I really be doing this with everything else that is going on in my life? I question whether I'll be able to work full time, take care of an ill husband, try to maintain a household, find time to study and still carve out a little fun time. But then again I think if I never start plugging away at it, I will never be done. So, I am going to attempt being a college student again. It sure is different this time around - computers and on-line classes, never really seeing your classmates face to face, no typewriters and white out, being able to go to class at midnight if I choose to. Sure is a different world! But I am hoping that some life experience and 20+ years on the job will make it somewhat easier to comprehend. Guess I'll find out!
And speaking of school...I really should be watching a video assignment!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Released
Buzz has been discharged from the hospital. So far the flap on his foot looks viable. He is staying at his mom's for now.
This has been a long crazy ride - definitely something I would not have wished for in my new marriage. A challenge to say the least.
But I am doing OK - I am used to being alone and used to taking care of myself and I have great friends and a great family to lean on. So I know that there will be light at the end of this tunnel...it is just a matter of finding my way there.
This has been a long crazy ride - definitely something I would not have wished for in my new marriage. A challenge to say the least.
But I am doing OK - I am used to being alone and used to taking care of myself and I have great friends and a great family to lean on. So I know that there will be light at the end of this tunnel...it is just a matter of finding my way there.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Post Surgery Day One
Buzz came through surgery well last night and the doctor was pleased with how things went. The doctor took off about 1/3 of the foot, maybe a little more...but left a piece of skin on the bottom that he pulled forward over the wound,creating a 'flap' that he used to sort of close up the stump. It is not completely closed because of the infection, but the hope is that the flap will take and the wound will close together.
I saw it today....it is pretty gross....and I am a nurse saying that. It sort of made me want to gag. Maybe because I am so tired and worn out but it was just nasty looking.
Anyways - it has been another long day so I'm making this short.
I saw it today....it is pretty gross....and I am a nurse saying that. It sort of made me want to gag. Maybe because I am so tired and worn out but it was just nasty looking.
Anyways - it has been another long day so I'm making this short.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Ongoing Foot Saga Week 4
The foot saga continues...
It is now week 4 of the fight with the foot gods - and we've lost. Buzz is in pre-op holding right now, awaiting surgery to remove his toes on his right foot. They are taking off the top 1/3 of his foot.
He had a doctor's appointment this am and the infection looked worse - draining more and he was in more pain so the doctor said it was time to throw in the towel. He was admitted to the hospital around 1 pm and will have surgery this afternoon.
His PICC line is also clotted so they need to work at getting that fixed because when he comes home he will still be on IV antibiotics. The hope is to attach a wound vac to the open wound and hopefully get the rest of the foot to heal.
It has been a long hard journey so far and I know that it is not ever with yet. All I really want is to go to bed and stay there for awhile!
I actually have pictures of the wound - thought about posting them but didn't want to gross any one out - so if you want to see them...just ask. It is pretty impressive.
Can I just say that sometimes life sucks....
It is now week 4 of the fight with the foot gods - and we've lost. Buzz is in pre-op holding right now, awaiting surgery to remove his toes on his right foot. They are taking off the top 1/3 of his foot.
He had a doctor's appointment this am and the infection looked worse - draining more and he was in more pain so the doctor said it was time to throw in the towel. He was admitted to the hospital around 1 pm and will have surgery this afternoon.
His PICC line is also clotted so they need to work at getting that fixed because when he comes home he will still be on IV antibiotics. The hope is to attach a wound vac to the open wound and hopefully get the rest of the foot to heal.
It has been a long hard journey so far and I know that it is not ever with yet. All I really want is to go to bed and stay there for awhile!
I actually have pictures of the wound - thought about posting them but didn't want to gross any one out - so if you want to see them...just ask. It is pretty impressive.
Can I just say that sometimes life sucks....
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Foot Saga
Since I haven't been blogging very much I thought I needed to at least explain why...
we are fighting a war against the foot demons over here at our little house.
Right after our vacation in July, Buzz was admitted to the hospital with an infection to his right foot. (landed at John Wayne airport and basically went straight to the hospital). He had a blister that was not healing and some organism got in to the blister and traveled up between his big toe and 2nd toe and had a field day...actually it was 3 organisms. Any way - they ate away good tissue and started killing off his toe / foot.
So the doctors admitted him for IV antibiotics and took off dead tissue and basically opened up his foot - to try and begin the healing process. Each day they came in and removed a little tissue.
They talked about amputating toes vs. amputating the upper 1/3 of his foot.
After a week in the hospital they sent him home. They did not amputate anything at this point but decided to see if it could heal up. This is made harder by the fact that he only has one open artery in his leg (the other 2 are clotted off - so that means little oxygen gets to his foot. Little oxygen = little healing) He came home on IV antibiotics through a PICC line (a centrally placed IV line the dumps the medication right in to his heart) and on daily wound care. We initially had to do dressing changes twice a day but now are down to once a day.
Well, we are now in to week 3 of the foot saga...not much has changed. He is still on IV medications and once a day dressing changes. We tried an enzyme to clear things up but didn't help much.
Yesterday he had a doctor's visit and they saw one little area of promise on the foot - an area over some muscle that looked like maybe it was starting to heal. So on we continue. They still talk about amputation but we are trying to salvage as much as the foot as we can.
The 2nd toe looks the worse - still has black/necrotic areas. You can see his big toe bone and 2nd toe bone as well as tendons along the top of his foot.
He has been instructed to stay off of his foot - which means alot of lying around which he doesn't like. But the wound is so tender and could easily break a toe or something, so he is trying to just lay around. I know he must be bored!
I had taken a few weeks off of work but now I am back. Trying to just manage everything. I have to trade days around to make doctor's appointments and I am home at night to do his dressing changes and to hang the next antibiotic. Our bedroom looks like a mini clinic but at least I already knew how to care for the wound and didn't need to learn something new...
And that is the saga of the foot so far - I'll be posting more so stay tuned.
we are fighting a war against the foot demons over here at our little house.
Right after our vacation in July, Buzz was admitted to the hospital with an infection to his right foot. (landed at John Wayne airport and basically went straight to the hospital). He had a blister that was not healing and some organism got in to the blister and traveled up between his big toe and 2nd toe and had a field day...actually it was 3 organisms. Any way - they ate away good tissue and started killing off his toe / foot.
So the doctors admitted him for IV antibiotics and took off dead tissue and basically opened up his foot - to try and begin the healing process. Each day they came in and removed a little tissue.
They talked about amputating toes vs. amputating the upper 1/3 of his foot.
After a week in the hospital they sent him home. They did not amputate anything at this point but decided to see if it could heal up. This is made harder by the fact that he only has one open artery in his leg (the other 2 are clotted off - so that means little oxygen gets to his foot. Little oxygen = little healing) He came home on IV antibiotics through a PICC line (a centrally placed IV line the dumps the medication right in to his heart) and on daily wound care. We initially had to do dressing changes twice a day but now are down to once a day.
Well, we are now in to week 3 of the foot saga...not much has changed. He is still on IV medications and once a day dressing changes. We tried an enzyme to clear things up but didn't help much.
Yesterday he had a doctor's visit and they saw one little area of promise on the foot - an area over some muscle that looked like maybe it was starting to heal. So on we continue. They still talk about amputation but we are trying to salvage as much as the foot as we can.
The 2nd toe looks the worse - still has black/necrotic areas. You can see his big toe bone and 2nd toe bone as well as tendons along the top of his foot.
He has been instructed to stay off of his foot - which means alot of lying around which he doesn't like. But the wound is so tender and could easily break a toe or something, so he is trying to just lay around. I know he must be bored!
I had taken a few weeks off of work but now I am back. Trying to just manage everything. I have to trade days around to make doctor's appointments and I am home at night to do his dressing changes and to hang the next antibiotic. Our bedroom looks like a mini clinic but at least I already knew how to care for the wound and didn't need to learn something new...
And that is the saga of the foot so far - I'll be posting more so stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Family Vacation
Take 17 family members, put them on a plane, and drop them off in the little town of Bluffton, Ohio and what do you get but loads of fun memories!!My family went back east in July to visit other family and we had a blast...but I will let the pictures do the talking.
My parents went. Myself and my kids plus Kim and Lilly. My sister Darlene and her family. Plus my sister Dawn and her family. It was a bit crazy at times but well worth the time.
In the shuttle to another terminal:
Naked baby! She peed on her clothes and daddy had to buy her a new outfit at the airport:
Beautiful countryside: I think I'm ready to move!
Hanging out in quiet, downtown Bluffton:
Fishing:
Canoeing:
Nature walks:
Riding horses:
Riding bikes, sort of like the Wizard of Oz:
Running down the country road - "Hey, wait for me!"
Family walks in town:
Shopping for fireworks?:
Coffee at Common Grounds:
Play time at the park:
Skating the AT&T hill rail:
Cousin love:
Oh the dairy freeze:
Riding bikes, sort of like the Wizard of Oz:Running down the country road - "Hey, wait for me!"Family walks in town:Shopping for fireworks?:Coffee at Common Grounds:Play time at the park:Skating the AT&T hill rail:Cousin love:Oh the dairy freeze:
Limo rides to visit friends:
Some Ohio family:
Still the cutest baby around!:
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