Hello again,
I am so late posting because twice now I have dumped the whole blog post. I am staying patient and I will write it a third time.
Okay - my favorite part about today was the conversation we had with the cardiologist. I got him a chair and greeted him with a big fat list. He was patient and kind. He continues to explain things in a non-defensive, calm and reasonable manner. He is not an alarmist even though his line of work is alarming. He and our doc seem to get along well and respect each other. Their approaches are similar.
Today I told him I needed to get behind him, believe in his abilities. I told him, "I will be your champion so you can be Cord's champion." I decided I liked him today. I decided he is smart and thoughtful. He has a lot of experience curing people with these meds, he sees it happen all the time. We also talked about greenhouses, beehives, mountain properties and even bears! It made us miss home.
Another thing I liked was the conversation about the Life Vest. The language they use when teaching about it is pretty intense but this doc helped us gain a better perspective on it today. He doesn't want us to live in fear - afraid of Cord going into cardiac arrest any minute. The chances of that happening are so slim yet it can happen. Wearing the vest in a remote area is definitely a good idea but we don't need to expect it to have to save him. He wants us to live our life. Cord can do things as he feels ready. (Except for chainsaws and jackhammers - they might set off a shock!) Cord was in terrible shape when he came in here and had been for some time and he didn't go into cardiac arrest - and he didn't have the vest then.
The doc even cleared him to go to Denver this Thursday and Friday for our presentation at DBG. He will be chilling - I wish I could take a Lazy-boy up there and let him watch the whole thing from the audience in style. He might answer a couple of questions but I will have the support of my boys - Max for sure. We will do all the heavy lifting. The first night is a lecture and the second day is a workshop. Max knows all the materials and will do demos for me. We will pull it together in time.
So last night - after I posted about the sleep test being easy and we went to bed - another cute girl from downstairs somewhere arrived, turned on the lights and said, "it's time to strap you into your sleep test." Uh Oh. We were almost in lala land. So there was much confusion and phone calls and trying to decide what to do until they finally decided he should wear BOTH tests to bed. We were wide awake by then. So when it came time to take them off - you guessed it - they came one at a time and woke him up twice to take off the devices.
Poor guy. He slept most of the morning away to make up for it. All he got today was a blood test.
He is the incredible deflating man. His legs have ankle bones again, his face is not round, but his middle still has a ways to go and is still tender and sore. The swelling and inflammation will take a while to calm down I'm sure. He is walking the floor and stretching and experiencing less pain.
There is a good possibility we go home Monday - after they check the blood tests, clear his oxygen and prescribe him his meds, we could be ready! The hospital has a pharmacy and they will deliver our meds to our room before we go so we don't have to stop on the way home. They are working on getting us a home nurse to check his vitals.
The staff here has truly been wonderful - true-blue hearts. Great care - really - we've made friends - we feel so well cared for. I know Cord is young and handsome and that doesn't hurt on this floor but across the board - they have great people working here. We will eternally be grateful for their concern and understanding. They have taken care of me as well.
Our good friend Lex and our wonderful boys put a new roof on our bedroom today. They only called for questions a few times. Cord would whip off a drawing, take a picture of it and send it off. He likes building and I know he was with them in spirit. They worked their butts off - I could hear it in Max's voice tonight. Beau went back to college - he has an exam Monday - what a guy - doing double duty.
My dynamo mother, and don't get mad Mom, is only 87 and yesterday she came to town to get stuff from me to send home, then went running around a furniture store helping me butt-test easy-chairs for Cord, then she went back home, loaded her car with piles of delicious yummy boy food and drove to Canon City to meet Max. They have been feasting ever since. Thanks mom - you are truly an amazing person. You said, "all I did was cook." WAY more than that - thank you so much for taking care of my family - we all admire you so much.
The only thing we will do on our way home is stop at the furniture store and have Cord butt-test a new chair. He doesn't want one he hasn't butt-tested. I have three in mind and we will be in and out of there in a minute. I will arrange for someone to pick it up and bring it home for us - I don't think it will fit in my car. He will have that chair when he gets home - that's a promise.
When I get home I might cry with relief and joy but I don't do that here. There will be time for that. We are so grateful and so blessed.
To all of you - you made us stronger and braver. You showed Cord how much he is loved. Thank you for that - we really need your help and I will continue to ask for it.
Many blessings to all of you,
Penn
I am so late posting because twice now I have dumped the whole blog post. I am staying patient and I will write it a third time.
Okay - my favorite part about today was the conversation we had with the cardiologist. I got him a chair and greeted him with a big fat list. He was patient and kind. He continues to explain things in a non-defensive, calm and reasonable manner. He is not an alarmist even though his line of work is alarming. He and our doc seem to get along well and respect each other. Their approaches are similar.
Today I told him I needed to get behind him, believe in his abilities. I told him, "I will be your champion so you can be Cord's champion." I decided I liked him today. I decided he is smart and thoughtful. He has a lot of experience curing people with these meds, he sees it happen all the time. We also talked about greenhouses, beehives, mountain properties and even bears! It made us miss home.
Another thing I liked was the conversation about the Life Vest. The language they use when teaching about it is pretty intense but this doc helped us gain a better perspective on it today. He doesn't want us to live in fear - afraid of Cord going into cardiac arrest any minute. The chances of that happening are so slim yet it can happen. Wearing the vest in a remote area is definitely a good idea but we don't need to expect it to have to save him. He wants us to live our life. Cord can do things as he feels ready. (Except for chainsaws and jackhammers - they might set off a shock!) Cord was in terrible shape when he came in here and had been for some time and he didn't go into cardiac arrest - and he didn't have the vest then.
The doc even cleared him to go to Denver this Thursday and Friday for our presentation at DBG. He will be chilling - I wish I could take a Lazy-boy up there and let him watch the whole thing from the audience in style. He might answer a couple of questions but I will have the support of my boys - Max for sure. We will do all the heavy lifting. The first night is a lecture and the second day is a workshop. Max knows all the materials and will do demos for me. We will pull it together in time.
So last night - after I posted about the sleep test being easy and we went to bed - another cute girl from downstairs somewhere arrived, turned on the lights and said, "it's time to strap you into your sleep test." Uh Oh. We were almost in lala land. So there was much confusion and phone calls and trying to decide what to do until they finally decided he should wear BOTH tests to bed. We were wide awake by then. So when it came time to take them off - you guessed it - they came one at a time and woke him up twice to take off the devices.
Poor guy. He slept most of the morning away to make up for it. All he got today was a blood test.
He is the incredible deflating man. His legs have ankle bones again, his face is not round, but his middle still has a ways to go and is still tender and sore. The swelling and inflammation will take a while to calm down I'm sure. He is walking the floor and stretching and experiencing less pain.
There is a good possibility we go home Monday - after they check the blood tests, clear his oxygen and prescribe him his meds, we could be ready! The hospital has a pharmacy and they will deliver our meds to our room before we go so we don't have to stop on the way home. They are working on getting us a home nurse to check his vitals.
The staff here has truly been wonderful - true-blue hearts. Great care - really - we've made friends - we feel so well cared for. I know Cord is young and handsome and that doesn't hurt on this floor but across the board - they have great people working here. We will eternally be grateful for their concern and understanding. They have taken care of me as well.
Our good friend Lex and our wonderful boys put a new roof on our bedroom today. They only called for questions a few times. Cord would whip off a drawing, take a picture of it and send it off. He likes building and I know he was with them in spirit. They worked their butts off - I could hear it in Max's voice tonight. Beau went back to college - he has an exam Monday - what a guy - doing double duty.
My dynamo mother, and don't get mad Mom, is only 87 and yesterday she came to town to get stuff from me to send home, then went running around a furniture store helping me butt-test easy-chairs for Cord, then she went back home, loaded her car with piles of delicious yummy boy food and drove to Canon City to meet Max. They have been feasting ever since. Thanks mom - you are truly an amazing person. You said, "all I did was cook." WAY more than that - thank you so much for taking care of my family - we all admire you so much.
The only thing we will do on our way home is stop at the furniture store and have Cord butt-test a new chair. He doesn't want one he hasn't butt-tested. I have three in mind and we will be in and out of there in a minute. I will arrange for someone to pick it up and bring it home for us - I don't think it will fit in my car. He will have that chair when he gets home - that's a promise.
When I get home I might cry with relief and joy but I don't do that here. There will be time for that. We are so grateful and so blessed.
To all of you - you made us stronger and braver. You showed Cord how much he is loved. Thank you for that - we really need your help and I will continue to ask for it.
Many blessings to all of you,
Penn
Beau and Lex on the roof.
RSS Feed