Archive for May, 2013

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18
May
13

“If I die, bury me in the new suit”

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children and Family
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Really, CPI!? Really!? After all these years, I find a suit that I can afford and you really like. Then, I have it altered to fit you exactly and you decide to die? Somebody save me!

CPI has been laid low since yesterday at three with severe allergies. At one point, he even had a fever. He is coughing like nobody’s business and probably bringing up stuff no one wants to see. Briefly, he decided to die and wanted to be buried in the new suit. But, “not before it is altered. I refuse to be buried in an ‘ill-fitting’ suit”. Yes, because my only concern if a child dies is how cool they look in the coffin.

CPI has, however, made a miraculous semi-recovery in the last hour or so and insists on going to both Prom and SNAP (Senior Night After Prom) at a nearby indoor putt-putt golf course and recreation area. I hope he survives.

Have a great time, CPI! We love you!

16
May
13

Sharped-Dressed Man

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Fun
Tags: ,

Everything has been so up-in-the-air that we just got in today to rent CPI’s tuxedo for prom, which we had previously been by and priced at $188. Everyone and their cousin was there. While we were waiting for him to be measured, I looked across the room and saw a beautiful pin-striped suit with a tag dangling from its sleeve. I went to investigate and discovered that it was one of the new ones they sell and had originally been $249. The current price was $199 and it was CPI’s size. CPI was worried because the salesman had already begun the rental process. I assured him that there would be no problem moving to a sale.

CPI tried the suit on and it fit perfectly except for the length and waist. Our cleaner/tailor is fixing these small problems and will have it ready by Saturday morning. We have been with them for several years and she was glad to hear that IRP is recovering. The salesman even threw in the shoe rental for free. The shoes have to be back on Sunday, but the suit is CPI’s forever. Or, until he grows some more, whichever comes first.

TSG

16
May
13

Home where she belongs

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family, Gratitude and Pets
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Finally! IRP is home again! We are so glad and grateful! Marsh, the ancient Labrador Retriever, was so glad to see her that he showed more enthusiasm in the first ten minutes after her arrival than in the entire week before. He and Whiskey had really begun to mope about looking for her.

Today, we will begin follow-up visits with doctors, starting with the surgeon and the infection specialist. Next week, we will see IRP’s regular physician. Also, she will be calling to set a new appointment with the psychologist so we can get that back on track.

I feel that we have now had our quota of unpleasant excitement for the year and should be excused any other drama.

TSG

15
May
13

Cabin Fever

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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I will be spending the night at the extended care facility with IRP. She called us at about 9:15 crying and with a severe case of cabin fever. It was all I could do to convince her that she could not check out in the middle of the night with an IV line in her upper arm. My mom is going to come tomorrow before I leave for work and stay until IRP is ready to check out. By then, I should be back here since the last IV antibiotic starts at 4:30 and takes thirty minutes. Then, of course, the PICC must be removed, etc.

I am going now to try to get some rest in this lovely reclining chair.

Good night!
TSG

14
May
13

TNB is voted off the island (and we don’t even watch the show)

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Uncategorized

Yesterday, TNB pressed IRP to decide whether or not she would “go out with him”. If I understand correctly, this is what we used to call “going together” or “going steady”. When she, on my advice (I know, shocking!), refused to make such a decision while ill, he stopped speaking to her. This is unacceptable behavior since it is a form of coercion. If you are so unhappy that you cannot speak civilly about something, you tell the person and let them know when you will be returning. TNB simply will not talk to IRP until she is ready to decide.

This has led to the following decision; TNB must go. He will not function in our family where this type of behavior is not approved of. As a side note, if he hopes by his silence to win a “war of attrition” by outlasting IRP’s ability to stand his not talking, he is doomed to disappointment. IRP has been skilled in this tactic since childhood and is hard to beat in such a competition. I doubt TNB can do it. It is all I can do to win and I have been up against it for almost 22 years.

TSG

14
May
13

A Slight Delay

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Children, Family and Medical
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IRP will not be coming home until Wednesday. The extended-care facility received a 7-day prescription for one of her IV antibiotics instead of a 5-day one. The infection specialist said that we could bring her home today. But, when I asked what would be best for IRP, he said the extra 2 days would be very helpful to her considering the magnitude and location of the infection. We really want her home, but feel we have to do what is best for IRP. This was a near thing and I have no desire to repeat the experience.

I have always told my children, “My job is to keep you safe and happy, in that order. It is possible to be safe and not happy. But, you cannot be truly happy unless you are also safe”. Now, I find myself in the unenviable position of standing by my statement.

We love you, sweetie, but we can wait a bit for you to come home if it will make you safer.

Love, Mom

13
May
13

Hiho! Hiho! It’s back to work I go!

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Family, Medical and Work
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IRP’s PICC (permanent IV line) is scheduled to come out today and she is supposed to come home. That would be so lovely. We really miss her around her. Even the pets are pouting. Tomorrow will have been three weeks since the surgery and she is doing things by herself quite well. It will be good for her to come home to continue healing.

This glitch has caused IRP to back up her plans a bit, so we are shooting for Fall 2013 as her return to college. At this point, IRP feels that even studying math would be preferable to what she is doing. Considering our family’s general hatred of math, this is a large concession.

Since FMP will be available today for IRP, I am going back to work. The people there have been so kind and accommodating, but it is time to resume my tasks.

TSG

12
May
13

Mother’s Day

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Family, Gratitude and Parents
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People say that I am a good mother. I say that I don’t see how I could possibly have failed to be considering the example I was given. I am not saying my mother was perfect. If she had been, then she would have been God, which would have left her little time to be my personal mom.

I am saying that she was the very best mother she could possibly be. She taught us to stand together, even if we felt apart; “You can fight with your sisters all you want. But, if someone else fights them, you had better be on their side!”. She taught us respect for ourselves and others. This is part of the reason I am now married to FMP instead of his predecessor. I have respect here that I was NEVER going to get there.

The first dish she taught me to cook was baked beans and hot dogs. You might think that an odd choice, but they were my favorite at the time. I do not know what my sisters learned to cook first, but I am sure it was something they liked. I am also sure she ate some truly awful results so as not to discourage us.

She has stood beside me through every event in my life. She has told me the truth when I didn’t want to hear it and certainly didn’t like it. She did not treat me exactly the same as my sisters and brother. She treated me as I needed to be treated. Children are not cut-out cookies. They are not all the same. Fair is not important, equal is. We were equal.

I love you, Mom!
TSG

11
May
13

no pain, hurrah

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Family and Medical
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IRP is much more content now. Her medication is arriving before she is in pain and someone now comes in periodically just to make sure she is okay. IRP has been to physical therapy twice now, once yesterday and again today. The goal is to keep the scar tissue that caused the current crises from having a chance to build up again. We definitely don’t need another round of hospitalization and peritonitis.

I spent a good deal of the day asleep trying to feel human again. I have spent much of the last three weeks either on a couch or in a reclining chair. I am not complaining, but I also spent most of those nights getting up to comfort or aid IRP. I am grateful that I got everything settled to such an extent that I had the luxury of sleeping so late.

Monday, I return to work. If all goes to plan, IRP will also be coming home that day. We are making sure that everything is clean and easy to get to for her. FMP works from home on Mondays and Tuesdays, so she will have help if she needs it. I do not anticipate her needing much as the only reason she is here is the IV antibiotics. Those will be stopped Monday.

TSG

11
May
13

in which Mom gets dangerous

By thissideofgaudy Leave a Comment
Categories: Family and Medical
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I rarely get angry because of the amount of energy it takes. I would rather use what I have elsewhere. I am not talking mad; wherein I generally curse (as little as possible), throw (minor, unbreakable) things and generally stomp about. I am talking about major anger in which I become very quiet and very controlled. FMP informs me that this is one of the scariest things he has ever seen. The last time it happened, we were in possession of only two children, RTA and IRP. To put this is perspective, CPI just turned 18.

Anyway, we noticed today that IRP’s pain patches, which had been used in the hospital, had not been put on at the new place. We asked about them at about 1:15. By 5:30, the rest of the family had left for the night. At 6:15, IRP called in tears to say that she had just been told that the patch prescription had not been sent over and the doctor at the extended-care facility could not prescribe them without seeing, in writing, what strength the original patches had been. Why did it take five hours to come to this conclusion?

In addition, IRP would frequently have to call two or three times to get her pain medication and then wait up to thirty minutes to receive it after someone finally responded. She asked to have her PICC (permanent IV port) dressing changed before we left and it had not been. IRP does not call for her medicine until she is at least a four on the ten-point pain scale. The length of time it was taking her to get it meant that she was at a ten by the time it arrived. IRP has spent her entire life in some form of pain or the other. This was NOT acceptable. In addition, every time the pain gets that bad, IRP starts crying. Every bit of energy she spends fighting pain is not available to fight the infection. I can’t have this and I won’t.

IRP’s pain medications are now to be given to her on schedule whether she asks for them or not. The PICC line has been cleaned and the dressing changed. The doctor has been given the strength of the patch straight from the hospital report and IRP is happy once more. I hope I made my position perfectly clear. If not, I will just have to do it all again with someone a bit higher.

TSG

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